V 


V 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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B 


Sf  110    12.0 


1.25  i  1.4 


IMIH^B 


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Sdeoces 
Carporalion 


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23  WIST  MAIN  STRiBT 

WnSTIR.N.Y.  14SM 

( 71* )  173-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/iCIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  IMicroraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiquas 


Taehnical  and  Bibllo«r«phle  NotM/NotM  t«chnk|UM  9t  MMiographiqiNM 


Th«  inttituta  has  attamptad  to  obtain  ttia  boat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  ttiia 
copy  wtiich  may  ba  bibHograpMcaHy  unlqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduetion.  or  which  may  aignifieantly  changa 
tha  usual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  ehaekad  balow. 


n 


n 


D 
D 


D 


D 


Colourad  covart/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


I     I   Covars  damagad/ 


Couvartura  andommag^a 

Covars  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  rastaur4a  at/ou  pailiculAa 


r~~|   Covar  titia  missing/ 


titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


I     I   Colourad  maps/ 


Cartas  gAographiquas  an  coulaur 


□   Colourad  inic  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autre  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 

I     I   Colourad  platas  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planchas  at/ou  illustrations  an  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
Rail*  avac  d'autras  documents 

Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrie  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  la  long  da  la  marge  intAriaure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenaver  possible,  these 
heve  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certeines  pages  blanches  ajoutias 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  la  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  At*  filmAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfllmA  la  mailleur  exemplaire 
qu1i  lui  a  M*  poasiMa  da  se  procurer.  Las  details 
da  eat  exemplaire  qui  sont  paut**tre  uniquee  du 
point  d4  vua  bibllographiqua,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
una  image  raprodulta,  ou  qui  pauvent  axiger  una 
modifteation  dans  la  mithoda  normale  da  filmage 
sont  indiqute  ci-dessous. 


I — I   Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  da  coulaur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restauries  at/ou  palliculAes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxe« 
Pages  dAcolortes.  tachetAes  ou  piquAes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditachtes 

Showthroughy 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  inAgale  de  I'impression 

includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  metAriel  supplAmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  disponible 


I — I  Pages  damaged/ 

r~n  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

r~y|  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxeri/ 

I     I  Pages  detached/ 

r^  Showthrough/ 

I     I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  includes  supplementary  material/ 

r~~|  Only  edition  available/ 


1 


D 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  psges  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  fiimtes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meiileure  image  possible. 


1 

P 

0 

f 


b 
t 

s 

0 

f 

s 


7 

s 
T 

M 
d 
ei 
b 
ri 
r« 
m 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


J 

12X 


16X 


aDx 


24X 


2SX 


32X 


Tb«  copy  fNiiMd  h«r«  hat 
to  th*  g«fMr«Mity  of: 


boon  roproducod  thonks 


quality 
toglblNtv 
tho 


York  UfiivtnHy 
Toronto 
Soott  Library 

Tho  Imagoo  appoorlng  horo  aro  tho 
poaoiblo  conoidorlnfl  tho  eonditlon 
of  tho  origifMl  copy  and  in  hooping 
fllmin<3  contract  apocificationo. 


Original  copioa  In  printod  popor  eovofo  ara  fllmad 
baglnning  whh  tho  front  eovor  and  anding  on 
tho  loot  pago  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  improa- 
•ion,  or  tho  bocic  eovor  whon  appropriata.  AH 
othor  original  copioo  ara  fllmad  baglnning  on  tho 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  llliiatratod  improe- 
•ion,  and  anding  on  tho  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  impraaalon. 


Tho  last  racordod  framo  on  oach  mlcroflcha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  — i»>  (mooning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tho  symbol  y  (moaning  "END"), 
whichovor  appliaa. 


L'axamplaira  fNm4  fut  raproduh  grica  A  to 
g*n4rosltA  do: 

Yorit  Univwtity 
Toronto 
Scott  Library 

Loo  imogos  suhrantos  ont  4t4  roprodultoo  avoe  to 
plus  grand  soln,  compto  tonu  do  to  condition  of 
do  to  nottotA  do  roxomplaira  fllmA,  at  an 
eonformit*  avac  laa  conditions  du  cor^^rat  da 
fHmaga. 

Laa  axamptolraa  originaux  dont  to  couvortura  on 
poplar  aat  imprim4a  sont  fHm4o  on  common^ant 
par  to  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  to 
damlAra  paga  qui  comporto  uno  omprointo 
d'improsslon  ou  dINustration,  soit  par  to  aaoond 
ptot,  colon  to  COS.  Tous  too  autraa  axamptolraa 
originoux  sont  flimis  on  commorient  par  to 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporto  uno  omprointo 
d'improaaion  ou  d'tllustration  ot  on  torminant  par 
to  damlAra  paga  qui  comporto  uno  toito 
omprointo. 

Un  dos  symboloe  suhranta  apparattra  sur  to 
damlAra  imaga  da  chaqua  microfiche,  salon  to 
cos:  to  symboto  -^  signifto  "A  8UIVRE".  to 
symboto  ▼  signifto  "FIN". 


IMops.  ptotos,  charts,  ate.,  may  ba  fllmad  at 
diffarant  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  bo 
entirely  included  in  one  expoeura  ara  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  toft  hand  comor,  toft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  frames  aa 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Los  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  pouvont  Atre 
fllmAs  A  dos  taux  do  rAductirci  diff Arents. 
Lorsque  to  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
roproduit  en  un  soul  clichA,  il  oet  fllmA  A  portir 
do  I'angto  supAriaur  gauche,  do  gauche  A  droite, 
ot  do  hout  en  baa.  en  pronont  to  nombro 
d'images  nAcossoire.  Lee  dtogrammos  suivants 
lliustrant  to  mAthode. 


1  2  3 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Dl 


Bppletons 

TTown  an^  Conntrp 

Xibrary 

No.  269 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT 


"«"    "4 


QUY  BOOTHBY'S  NOVELS. 


Each,  laoM,  doAh.  $1.00;  paper,  go  cent*. 


Dr.  NIkob's  Expertment. 


The  myitenouf  figure  of  Dr.  Nikola  haa  obtained  so  st^^flR 
a  hold  upon  novel  readers  that  the  reappearance  of  this  dramatic 
character  needs  onlv  to  be  announced  to  insure  immediate  at* 
tention.  Mr  Bootnbv  demonstrates  again  the  value  of  suh- 
pended  interest,  and  nis  story  holds  tlM  reader  until  the  last 
page  is  reached. 

Pharos,  the  Egyptian. 

"  The  pbt  is  exciting,  and  it  is  most  skillfully  elaborated 
until  it  culminates  in  a  most  thrilling  tableau."  -  Boston  6a/ur- 
day  Evening  GoMttU. 

The  Lust  of  Hate. 

"  The  itory  is  brimming  over  with  incident.  .  .  .  The  author 
has  never  written  anything  better." — WtttminsUr  Gaatttt. 

The  Beautiful  White  Devil. 

"  Here  we  have,  in  modem  form,  the  same  old  hairbreadth 
escapes,  the  same  extraordinary  adventures  followinK  one  an- 
other at  breathless  speed,  and  tihe  same  splendid  disregard  for 
mere  probability  that  marked  the  efforts  of  these  wizards  of  an 
earlier  day  " — New  York  Sun. 

Dr.  Niicola. 

"  Crowded  to  the  covers  with  the  mvsteriouK,  the  startling, 
and  the  supernatural."— A'^w  York  Mail  and  Express. 

A  Bid  for  Fortune. 

"  Mr.  Boothby  never  allows  the  interest  of  their  doingR  to 
drop  from  first  page  to  last ;  and  he  tells  his  tale  in  a  pleasant, 
brisk  fashion  that  carries  the  reader  along." — London  Times. 

The  Marriage  of  Esther. 

"  Abounds  in  dramatic  situations,  and  is  bright  in  dialogue, 
graphic  in  description,  and  subtle  in  character  analysis." — 
Boston  Advertiser. 


D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK. 


DR 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT 


BY 

GUY  BOOTHBY 

AUTHOE  OP 

THE  LUST  OF  HATE;    PHAROS,   THE  EGYPTIAN 

THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL,   ETC. 


NEW    YORK 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

1899 


Hi  HI 

DC, 


CopvaicHT,  1899, 
Bv  D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY. 


V :    / 


DR.    NIKOLA'S    EXPERIMENT. 


CHAPTER   I. 

It  is  a  sad  enough  thing  at  any  time  for 
a  man  to  have  to  confess  himself  a  failure, 
but  I  think  it  will  be  admitted  that  it  is  doubly 
so  at  that  period  of  his  career  when  he  is 
not  only  young  enough  to  have  some  flick- 
ering sparks  of  ambition  left,  but  old  enough 
to  appreciate  at  their  proper  value  the  over- 
whelming odds  against  which  he  has  been 
battling  so  long  and  with  such  conspicuously 
poor  success. 

Such  was  my  case.  I  had  entered  the 
medical  profession  seemingly  with  everything 
in  my  favour.  My  father  had  built  up  a  repu- 
tation for  himself,  and,  what  he  prized  still 
more,  a  competency  as  a  country  practitioner 
of  the  old-fashioned  sort  in  the  west  of  Eng- 


DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


land.  I  was  his  only  child,  and,  as  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  saying,  he  looked  to  me  to 
carry  the  family  name  up  to  those  dizzy 
heights  at  which  he  had  often  gazed,  but  on 
which  he  had  never  aspired  to  set  his  foot. 
A  surgeon  I  was  to  be,  willy-nilly,  and  it  may 
have  been  a  throw-back  to  the  parental  in- 
stinct alluded  to  above,  which  led  me  at  once 
to  picture  myself  flying  at  express  speed,  re- 
gardless of  cost,  across  Europe  in  obedience 
to  the  summons  of  some  potentate  whose  life 
and  throne  depended  upon  my  dexterity  and 
knowledge. 

In  due  course  I  entered  a  hospital,  and  fol- 
lowed the  curriculum  in  the  orthodox  fash- 
ion. It  was  not,  however,  until  I  was  ap- 
proaching the  end  of  my  student  days  that  I 
was  burnt  with  that  fire  of  enthusiasm  which 
was  destined,  ultimately,  to  consume  me  al- 
together. 

Among  the  students  of  my  year  was  a  man 
by  whose  side  I  had  often  worked — with 
whom  I  had  occasionally  exchanged  a  few 
words,  but  whose  intimate  I  could  not  in  any 
way  claim  to  have  been.     In  appearance  he 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


s 


was  a  narrow-shouUlered,  cadaverous,  lantern- 
jawed  fellow,  with  dark,  restless  eyes,  who 
boasted  the  name  of  Kelleran,  and  was  popu- 
larly supposed  to  be  an  Irishman.  As  I  dis- 
covered later,  however,  he  was  not  an  Irish- 
man at  all,  but  hailed  from  the  Black  Coun- 
try— Wolverhampton,  if  I  remember  rightly, 
being  the  city  which  claimed  the  honour  of 
his  birth.  His  father  had  been  the  senior 
partner  in  an  exceedingly  wealthy  firm  of 
hardware  manufacturers,  and  while  we  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  pitying  ana,  in  some  in- 
stances I  am  afraid,  of  rather  looking  down 
on  the  son  on  account  of  his  supposed  pov- 
erty, he  was,  in  all  probability,  in  a  position 
to  buy  up  every  other  man  in  the  hospital 
twice  over.  ,  > 

The  average  medical  student  is  a  being 
with  whom  the  world  in  general  has  by  this 
time  been  made  fairly  familiar.  His  frolics 
and  capacity — or  incapacity,  as  you  may 
choose  to  term  it — for  work  have  been  the 
subject  of  innumerable  jests.  If  this  be  a 
true  picture,  then  Kelleran  was  certainly  dif- 
ferent to  the  usual  run.     In  his  case  the  order 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


was  reversed:  with  him,  work  was  play,  and 
play  was  work;  while  a  jest  was  a  thing  un- 
known, and  for  which  he  allowed  it  to  be 
seen  that  he  had  not  the  slightest  tolerance. 

I  have  already  said  that  my  father  had 
amassed  a  competency.  I  must  now  add  that 
up  to  a  certain  point  he  was  a  generous  man, 
and  my  allowance,  under  different  circum- 
stances, would  have  been  ample  for  my  re- 
quirements. As  ill  luck  would  have  it,  how- 
ever, I  had  got  into  the  wrong  set,  and  be- 
fore I  had  been  two  years  in  the  hospital  was 
over  head  and  ears  in  such  a  quagmire  of  debt 
and  difficulties  that  it  looked  as  if  nothing 
but  an  absolute  miracle  could  serve  to  ex- 
tricate me.  To  my  father  I  dared  not  apply: 
easy-going  as  he  was  in  most  matters,  I  had 
good  reason  to  know  that  on  the  subject  of 
debt  he  was  inexorable.  And  yet  to  remain 
in  my  present  condition  was  impossible.  On 
every  side  tradesmen  threatened  me;  my 
landlady's  account  had  not  been  paid  for 
weeks;  while  among  the  men  of  the  hospital 
not  one,  but  several,  held  my  paper  for  sums 
lost  at  cards,  the  remembrance  of  which  sent 


DR. 


^LA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


a  cold  shiver  down  my  back  every  time  I 
thought  of  them.  From  all  this  it  will  be 
surmised  that  my  position  was  not  only  one 
of  considerable  difHculty,  but  that  it  was  also 
one  of  no  little  danger.  Unless  I  could  find 
a  sufficient  sum  if  not  to  free  myself,  at  least 
to  stave  oflP  my  creditors,  my  career,  as  far 
as  the  world  of  medicine  was  concerned, 
might  be  considered  at  an  end.  Even  now 
I  can  recall  the  horror  of  that  period  as  viv- 
idly as  if  it  were  but  yesterday. 

It  was  on  a  Thursday,  I  remember,  that 
the  thunder-clap  came.  On  returning  to  my 
rooms  in  the  evening  I  discovered  a  letter 
awaiting  me.  With  trembling  fingers  I  tore 
open  the  envelope  and  drew  out  the  contents. 
As  I  feared,  it  proved  to  be  a  demand  from 
my  most  implacable  creditor,  a  money-lender 
to  whom  I  had  been  introduced  by  a  fellow- 
student.  The  sum  I  had  borrowed  from  him, 
with  the  assistance  of  a  friend,  had  been  only 
a  trifling  one,  but  helped  out  by  fines  and 
other  impositions  it  had  now  increased  to  an 
amount  which  I  was  aware  it  was  hopelessly 
impossible  for  me  to  pay.    What  was  I  to 


t3M  V.».       .J 


($  DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 

do?  What  could  I  do?  Unless  I  settled  the 
claim  (to  hope  for  mercy  from  the  man  him- 
self was,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  absurd),  my 
friend,  who,  I  happened  to  know,  was  himself 
none  too  well  off  at  the  moment,  would  be 
called  upon  to  make  it  good.  After  that  how 
should  I  be  able  to  face  him  or  any  one  else 
again?  I  b  d  not  a  single  acquaintance,  in 
the  world  from  whom  I  could  borrow  a  sum 
that  would  be  half  sufficient  to  meet  it,  while 
I  dared  not  go  down  to  the  country  and  tell 
my  father  of  my  folly  and  disgrace.  In 
vain  I  ransacked  my  brains  for  a  loophole 
of  escape.  Then  the  whistle  of  a  steamer  on 
the  river  attracted  my  attention,  filling  my 
brain  with  such  thoughts  as  it  had  never  en- 
tertained before,  and  I  pray,  by  God's  mercy, 
may  never  know  again.  Here  was  a  way  out 
of  my  difficulty,  if  only  I  had  the  pluck  to 
try  it.  Strangely  enough,  the  effect  it  had 
upon  me  was  to  brace  me  like  a  draught  of 
rare  wine.  This  was  succeeded  by  a  coldness 
so  intense  that  both  mind  and  body  were  ren- 
dered callous  by  it.  How  long  it  lasted  I 
cannot  say;  it  may  have  been  only  a  few  sec- 


DR.  NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


onds — it  may  have  been  an  hour — before  con- 
sciousness returned  and  I  found  myself  still 
standing  beside  the  table,  holding  the  fatal 
letter  in  my  hand.  Like  a  drunken  man  I 
fumbled  my  way  from  the  room  in^o  the  hot 
night  outside.  What  I  was  going  to  do  I 
did  not  exactly  know.  I  wanted  to  be  alone, 
in  some  place  away  from  the  crowded  pave- 
ments, if  possible,  where  I  could  have  time 
to  think  and  to  determine  upon  my  course 
of  action. 

With  a  tempest  of  rage,  against  I  knew 
not  what,  in  my  heart,  I  hurried  along,  up 
one  street  and  down  another,  until  I  found 
myself  panting,  but  unappeased,  upon  the 
Embankment  opposite  the  Temple  Gardens. 
All  round  me  were  the  bustle  and  life  of  the 
great  city:  cabs,  containing  men  and  women 
in  evening  dress,  dashed  along;  girls  and 
their  lovers,  talking  in  hushed  voices,  went 
by  me  arm  in  arm;  even  the  loafers,  leaning 
against  the  stone  parapet,  seemed  happy  in 
comparison  with  my  wretched  self.  I  looked 
down  at  the  dark  water  gurgling  so  pleas- 
antly below  me,  and  remembered  that  all  I 


vh 


1 


t'' 


Wli 


! 


. 


8 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


had  to  do,  as  soon  as  I  was  alone,  was  to 
drop  over  the  side,  allow  it  to  engulf  me,  and 
so  be  done  with  my  difficulties  for  ever. 
Then  in  a  flash  the  real  meaning  A  what  I 
proposed  to  do  came  to  me. 

"  Coward,  coward,"  I  hissed,  with  as  much 
vehemence  and  horror  as  if  I  had  been  ad- 
dressing a  real  enemy  instead  of  myself,  "  to 
think  of  taking  this  way  out  of  your  diffi- 
culty! If  you  kill  yourself,  what  will  become 
of  the  other  man?  Go  to  him  at  once  and 
tell  him  everything.  He  has  the  right  to 
know." 

The  argument  was  irresistible,  and  I  ac- 
cordingly turned  upon  my  heel  and  was  about 
to  start  oflf  in  quest  of  the  man  I  wanted, 
when  I  found  myself  confronted  with  no  less 
a  person  than  Kelleran.  He  was  walking 
quickly,  and  swung  his  cane  as  he  did  so. 
On  seeing  me  he  stopped. 

"  Douglas  Ingleby!  "  he  said:  "  well,  this 
is  fortunate!  You  are  just  the  man  I  want 
to  see." 

I  murmured  something  in  reply,  I  forget 
what,  and  was  about  to  pass  on.     I  had  bar- 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


gained  without  my  host,  however.  He  had 
been  watching  me  with  his  keen  dark  eyes, 
and  when  he  made  as  if  he  would  walk  with 
me  I  was  not  altogether  surprised. 

"  You  do  not  object  to  my  accompanying 
you,  I  hope?  "  he  inquired,  by  way  of  intro- 
duction to  what  he  had  to  say.  "  Tve  been 
wanting  to  have  a  talk  with  you  for  some 
days  past." 

"  I'm  afraid  I'm  in  rather  a  hurry  just 
now,"  I  answered,  quickening  my  pace  a  little 
as  I  did  so.  .  " 

"  That  makes  no  difference  at  all  to  me," 
he  returned.  "As  I  think  you  are  aware,  I 
am  a  fast  walker.  Since  you  are  in  a  hurry, 
let  us  step  out." 

We  did  so,  and  for  something  like  fifty 
yards  proceeded  at  a  brisk  pace  in  perfect 
silence.  This  at  last  became  more  than  I 
could  stand,  and  I  stopped  and  faced  him. 

"  What  is  it  you  want  with  me?  "  I  asked 
angrily.  "  Cannot  you  see  that  I  am  not  well 
to-night,  and  would  rather  be  alone?  " 

"  I  can  see  you  are  not  quite  the  thing," 
he  answered  quietly,  still  watching  me  with 


K'     i 


lO 


DR.  NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


I'i 


his  grave  eyes.  "  This  is  exactly  why  I  want 
to  walk  with  you.  A  little  cheerful  conver- 
sation will  do  you  good.  You  don't  know 
how  clever  I  am  at  adapting  my  manner  to 
other  people's  requirements.  That  is  the  se- 
cret of  our  profession,  my  dear  Ingleby,  as 
you  will  some  day  find  out." 

"I  shall  never  find  it  out,"  I  replied  bit-  * 
terly.     "  I  have  done  with  medicine.     I  shall 
clear  out  of  England,  I  think — go  abroad,  try 
Australia  or  Canada — anywhere,  I  don't  care 
where,  to  get  out  of  this!  " 

"  The  very  thing!  "  he  replied  cheerily, 
but  without  a  trace  of  surprise.  "  You 
couldn't  do  better,  I'm  sure.  You  are  strong, 
active,  full  of  life  and  ambition;  just  the  sort 
of  fellow,  in  fact,  to  make  a  good  colonist. 
It  must  be  a  grand  life,  that  hewing  and  hack- 
ing a  place  for  oneself  in  a  new  country, 
watching  and  fostering  the  growth  of  a  na- 
tion that  may  some  day  take  rank  among  the 
powers  of  the  earth.  Ah !  I  like  the  idea.  It 
is  grand!  It  is  magnificent!  It  makes  one 
tingle  to  think  of  it."  •' 

He  threw  his  arms  out  and  squared  his 


I 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


II 


shoulders  as  if  he  were  preparing^  for  the 
struggle  he  had  so  graphically  described. 
After  that  we  did  not  walk  quite  so  fast.  The 
man  had  suddenly  developed  a  strange  fas- 
cination for  me,  and,  as  he  talked,  I  hung 
upon  his  words  with  a  feverish  interest  I  can 
scarcely  account  for  now.  By  the  time  we 
reached  my  lodgings  I  had  forgotten  my 
trouble  for  the  time  being,  but  when  I  en- 
tered my  sitting-room  and  found  the  envelope 
which  had  contained  the  fatal  letter  still  lying 
upon  the  table,  it  all  rushed  back  upon  me, 
and  with  such  force  that  I  was  well-nigh  over- 
whelmed. Kelleran  meanwhile  had  taken  up 
his  position  on  the  hearthrug,  whence  he 
watched  me  with  the  same  expression  of  con- 
templative interest  upon  his  face  to  which  I 
have  before  alluded. 

"  Hullo! "  he  said  at  last,  after  he  had 
been  some  minutes  in  the  house,  and  he  had 
begun  to  overhaul  my  library,  "  what  are 
these?     Where  did  you  pick  them  up?  " 

He  had  taken  a  book  from  the  shelf,  and 
was  holding  it  tenderly  in  his  hand.  I  rec- 
ognised it  as  one  of  several  volumes  of  a  six- 


12 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


teenth-century  work  on  Surgery  that  I  had 
chanced  upon  on  a  bookstall  in  Holywell 
Street  some  months  before.  Its  age  and  date 
had  interested  me,  and  I  had  bought  it  more 
out  of  curiosity  than  for  any  other  reason. 
Kelleran,  however,  could  scarcely  withdraw 
his  eyes  from  it. 

"  It's  the  very  thing  I've  been  wanting  to 
make  my  set  complete,"  he  cried,  after  I  had 
described  my  discovery  of  it.  "  Perhaps  you 
don't  know  it,  but  I'm  a  perfect  lunatic  on 
the  subject  of  books.  My  own  rooms, 
where,  by-the-bye,  you  have  never  been,  are 
crammed  from  ceiling  to  floor,  and  still  I 
go  on  buying.  Let  me  see  what  else  you 
have."       , 

So  saying,  he  x:ontinued  his  survey  of  the 
room,  humming  softly  to  himself  as  he  did 
so,  and  pulling  out  such  books  as  interested 
him,  and  heaping  them  upon  the  floor. 

"  You've  by  no  means  a  bad  collection," 
he  was  kind  enough  to  say,  when  he  had 
finished.  "  Judging  from  what  I  see  here, 
you  must  read  a  great  deal  more  than  most 
of  our  men." 

r 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


13 


>» 


•St 


"  I'm  afraid  not,"  I  answered.  "  The 
majority  of  these  books  were  sent  up  to  me 
from  the  country  by  my  father,  who  thought 
they  might  be  of  service  to  me.  A  mistaken 
notion,  for  they  take  up  a  lot  of  room,  and 
I've  often  wished  them  at  Hanover." 

"You  have,  have  you?  You  Goth!"  he 
continued.  **  Well,  then,  I'll  tell  you  what 
ril  do.  If  you  want  to  get  rid  of  them,  I'll 
buy  the  lot,  these  old  beauties  included. 
They  are  really  worth  more  than  I  can 
afford,  but  if  you  care  about  it,  I'll  make  you 
a  sporting  offer  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds 
for  such  as  I've  put  upon  the  floor.  What 
do  you  say?  " 

I  could  scarcely  believe  I  heard  aright. 
His  offer  was  so  preposterous,  that  I  could 
have  laughed  in  his  face. 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  I  cried,  thinking  for  a 
moment  that  he  must  be  joking  with  me,  and 
feeling  inclined  to  resent  it,  "  what  nonsense 
you  talk!  A  hundred  and  fifty  for  that  lot: 
why,  they're  not  worth  a  ten-pound  note  all 
told.  The  old  fellows  are  certainly  curious, 
but  it  is  only  fair  that  I  should  tell  you  that  I 


;    i 


i:    ! 


i 


1!  I 


IIV 


I    I 


f" 


..  I 


14 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


gave  five  shillings  and  sixpence  for  the  set 
of  seven  volumes,  complete." 

"  Then  you  got  a  bargain  such  as  you'll 
never  find  again,"  he  answered  quietly.  "  I 
wish  I  could  make  as  good  an  one  every  day. 
However,  there's  my  offer.  Take  it  or  leave 
it  as  you  please.  I  will  give  you  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  for  those  books,  and  take 
my  chance  of  their  value.  If  you  are  pre- 
pared to  accept,  I'll  get  a  cab  and  take  them 
away  to-night.  I've  got  my  cheque-book  in 
my  pocket,  and  I'll  settle  up  for  them  on  the 
spot." 

"  But,  my  dear  Kelleran,  how  can  you 

afford  to  give  such "      Here  I  stopped 

abruptly.  "  I  beg  your  pardon — I  know  I 
had  no  right  to  say  such  a  thing." 

"  Don't  mention  it,"  he  answered  quietly. 
"  I  am  not  in  the  least  ofifended,  I  assure  you. 
I  have  always  felt  certain  you  fellows  sup- 
posed me  to  be  poor.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
however,  I  have  the  good  fortune,  or  the  ill, 
as  I  sometimes  think,  to  be  able  to  indulge 
myself  to  the  top  of  my  bent  without  fear 
of  the  consequences.     But  that  has  nothing 


DR.   NTKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


15 


to  do  with  the  subject  at  present  under  dis- 
cussion. Will  you  take  my  price,  and  let  me 
have  the  books,  or  not?  I  assure  you  I  am 
all  anxiety  to  get  my  nose  inside  one  of  those 
old  covers  before  I  sleep  to-night." 

Heaven  knows  I  was  eager  enough  to  ac- 
cept, and  if  you  think  for  one  moment  you 
will  see  what  his  offer  meant  to  me.  With 
such  a  sum  I  could  not  only  pay  off  the 
money-lender,  but  well-nigh  put  myself 
straight  with  the  rest  of  my  creditors.  Yet 
all  the  time  I  had  the  uneasy  feeling  that  the 
books  were  by  no  means  worth  the  amount 
he  had  declared  to  be  their  value,  and  that 
he  was  only  making  me  the  offer  out  of  kind- 
ness. 

"  If  you  are  sure  you  mean  it,  I  will  ac- 
cept," I  said.  "  I  am  awfully  hard  up,  and 
the  money  will  be  a  godsend  to  me." 

"  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  it,"  he  replied, 
"  for  in  that  case  we  shall  be  doing  each  other 
a  mutual  good  turn.  Now  let's  get  them  tied 
up.  If  you  wouldn't  mind  seeing  to  it,  I'll 
write  the  cheque  and  call  a  cab." 

Ten  minutes  later  he  and  his  new  posses- 


i6 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


1  \ 


i;  / 


sions  had  taken  their  departure,  and  I  was 
once  more  in  my  room  standing  beside  the 
table,  just  as  I  had  done  a  few  hours  before, 
but  with  what  a  difference!  Then  I  had  seen 
no  light  ahead,  nothing  but  complete  dark- 
ness and  dishonour;  now  I  was  a  new  man, 
and  in  a  position  to  meet  the  majority  of  calls 
upon  me.  The  change  from  the  one  condi- 
tion to  the  other  was  more  than  I  could  bear, 
and  when  I  remembered  that  less  than  sixty 
minutes  before  I  was  standing  on  that  ante-  ^ 
chamber  of  death,  the  Embankment,  contem-  ^ 
plating  suicide,  I  broke  down  completely,  and 
sinking  into  a  chair  buried  my  face  in  my 
hands  and  cried  like  a  child. 

Next  morning,  as  soon  as  the  bank  had 
opened  its  doors,  I  entered  and  cashed  the 
cheque  Kelleran  had  given  me.  Then,  call- 
ing a  cab,  I  made  my  way  with  a  light  heart, 
as  you  may  suppose,  to  the  office  of  the 
money-lender  in  question.  His  surprise  at 
seeing  me,  and  on  learning  the  nature  of  my 
errand,  may  be  better  imagined  than  de- 
scribed. Having  transacted  my  business 
with  him,  I  was  preparing  to  make  my  way 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


«7 


back  to  the  hospital,  when  an  idea  entered 
my  head  upon  which  I  immediately  acted. 
In  something  under  ten  minutes  I  stood  in 
the  bookseller's  shop  in  Holywell  Street 
where  I  had  purchased  the  volumes  KcUeran 
had  appeared  to  prize  so  much. 

"  Some  weeks  ago,"  I  said  to  the  man 
who  came  forward  to  serve  me,  "  I  purchased 
from  you  an  old  work  on  medicine  entitled 
'  The  Perfect  Chirurgeon,  or  The  Art  of 
Healing  as  practised  in  divers  Ancient  Coun- 
tries.'" 

"  Seven  volumes  very  much  soiled — five 
and  sixpence,"  returned  the  man  immediate- 
ly.    *'  I  remember  the  books." 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,"  I  answered.  "  Now, 
I  want  you  to  tell  me  what  you  would  con- 
sider the  real  market  value  of  the  work." 

"  If  it  were  wanted  to  make  up  a  collec- 
tion it  might  possibly  be  worth  a  sovereign," 
the  man  replied  promptly.  "  Otherwise  not 
more  than  we  asked  you  for  it." 

"  Then  you  don't  think  any  one  would 
be  likely  to  offer  a  hundred  pounds  for  it?  " 
I  inquired. 


ti 


DK.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


t 


The  man  laughed  outright. 

**  Not  a  man  who  had  possession  of  his 
wits,"  he  answered.  "  No,  sir,  I  think  I  have 
stated  the  price  very  fairly,  though  of  course 
h  might  fetch  a  few  shillings  more  or  less, 
according  to  circumstances." 

*'  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,"  I  said; 
"  I  simply  wanted  to  know  as  a  matter  of 

curiosity." 

With  that  I  left  the  shop  and  made  my 
way  to  the  hospital,  where  I  found  Kelleran 
hard  at  work.  He  looked  up  at  me  as  I  en- 
tered, and  nodded,  but  it  was  well-nigh  lunch 
time  before  I  got  an  opportunity  of  speaking 
to  him. 

"  Kelleran,"  I  said  when  I  did,  "  you  de- 
ceived me  about  those  books  last  night. 
They  were  not  worth  anything  like  the  value 
you  put  upon  them." 

He  looked  me  full  and  fair  in  the  face,  and 
I  saw  a  faint  smile  flicker  round  the  corners 
of  his  mouth. 

"  My  dear  Ingleby,"  he  said,  "  what  a 
funny  fellow  you  are,  to  be  sure!  Surely  if 
I  choose  to  give  you  what  I  consider  the 


.(: 


1,   ■ 


DR.  NIKOLA'3  EXPERIMENT. 


19 


worth  of  the  books  I  am  at  perfect  liberty  to 
do  so.  And  if  you  are  willing  to  accept  it, 
no  more  need  be  said  upon  the  subject.  The 
value  of  a  thing  to  a  man  is  what  he  cares 
to  give  for  it,  so  I  have  always  been  led  to 
believe." 

"  But  I  am  convinced  you  did  not  give  it 
only  because  you  wanted  the  books.  You 
knew  I  was  in  straits  and  you  took  that  form 
of  helping  me.  It  was  generous  of  you  in- 
deed, Kelleran,  and  I'll  never  forget  it  as 
long  as  I  live.  You  saved  me  from — but 
there,  I  cannot  tell  you.  I  dare  not  think  of 
it  myself.  But  there  is  one  thing  I  must  ask 
of  you.  I  want  you  to  keep  the  books  and 
to  let  the  amount  you  gave  me  for  them  be 
a  loan,  which  I  will  repay  as  soon  as  I  pos- 
sibly can." 

I  was  aware  that  he  was  a  passionate  man : 
indeed,  once  or  twice  I  had  seen  him  in  a 
rage,  but  never  in  a  greater  one  than  now. 

"  Let  it  be  what  you  please,"  he  cried, 
turning  from  me.  "  Only  for  pity's  sake  drop 
the  subject:  I've  had  enough  of  it." 

With  this  explosion  he  stalked  away,  leav- 


\i 


\ 
r 

I' 

I' 


(    1     ; 

h  it  it 


20 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


ing  me  standing  looking  after  him,  divided 
between  gratitude  and  amazement. 

I  have  narrated  this  incident  for  two  rea- 
sons: in  the  first  place  because  it  will  furnish 
you  with  a  notion  of  my  own  character,  which 
I  am  prepared  to  admit  exhibits  but  few  good 
points;  and  in  the  second  because  it  will  serve 
to  introduce  to  you  a  queer  individual,  now  a 
very  great  person,  whom  I  shall  always  regard 
as  the  Good  Angel  of  my  life,  and,  indirectly, 
it  is  true,  the  bringer  about  of  the  one  and 
only  real  happiness  I  have  ever  known. 

From  the  time  of  the  episode  I  have  just 
described  at  such  length  to  the  present  day, 
I  can  safely  say  that  I  have  neither  touched 
a  card  nor  owed  a  man  a  penny-piece  that 
I  was  not  fully  prepared  to  pay  at  a  moment's 
notice.  And  with  this  assertion  I  must  re- 
vert to  the  statement  made  at  the  commence- 
ment of  this  chapter — the  saddest  a  man  can 
make.  As  I  said  then,  there  could  be  no 
doubt  about  it  that  I  was  a  failure.  For 
though  I  had  improved  in  the  particulars  just 
stated,  Fate  was  plainly  against  me.  I 
worked  hard   and   passed   my   examinations 


I' 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


21 


with  comparative  ease;  yet  it  seemed  to  do 
me  no  good  with  those  above  me.  The  sa- 
cred fire  of  enthusiasm,  vt^hich  had  at  first 
been  so  conspicuously  absent,  had  now  taken 
complete  hold  of  me;  I  studied  night  and 
day,  grudging  myself  no  labour,  yet  by  some 
mischance  everything  I  touched  recoiled  upon 
me,  and,  like  the  serpent  of  the  fable,  stung 
the  hand  that  fostered  it.  Certainly  I  was 
not  popul?**,  and,  since  it  was  due  almost  di- 
rectly to  xCelleran's  influence  that  I  took  to 
my  work  with  such  assiduity,  it  seems  strange 
that  I  should  also  have  to  attribute  my  non- 
success  to  his  agency.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
he  was  not  a  good  leader  to  follow.  From 
the  very  first  he  had  shown  himself  to  be  a 
man  of  strange  ideas.  He  was  no  follower 
or  stickler  for  the  orthodox;  to  sum  him  up 
in  plainer  words,  he  was  what  might  be  de- 
scribed as  an  experimentalist.  In  return,  the 
authorities  of  the  hospital  looked  somewhat 
askance  upon  him.  Finally  he  passed  out 
into  the  world,  and  the  same  term  saw  me 
appointed  to  the  rank  of  House  Surgeon. 
Almost  simultaneously  my  father  died;  and, 


22 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


to  the  horror  of  the  family,  an  examination 
of  his  affairs,  instead  of  proving  him  the 
wealthy  man  we  supposed  him  to  be,  showed 
that  there  was  barely  sufficient,  when  his  lia- 
bilities were  paid,  to  meet  the  expenses  of 
his  funeral.  The  shock  of  his  death  and 
the  knowledge  of  the  poverty  to  which  she 
had  been  so  suddenly  reduced  proved  too 
much  for  my  mother,  and  she  followed  him 
a  few  weeks  later.  Thus  I  was  left,  so  far  as  I 
knew,  without  kith  or  kin  in  the  world,  with 
but  few  friends,  no  money,  and  the  poorest 
possible  prospects  of  ever  making  it. 

To  the  circumstances  under  which  I  lost 
the  position  of  House  Surgeon  I  will  not  al- 
lude. Let  it  suffice  that  I  did  lose  it,  and 
that,  although  the  authorities  seemed  to  think 
otherwise,  I  am  in  a  position  to  prove,  when- 
ever I  desire  to  do  so,  that  I  was  not  the  real 
culprit.  The  effect,  however,  was  the  same. 
I  was  disgraced  beyond  hope  of  redemption, 
and  the  proud  career  I  had  mapped  out  for 
myself  was  now  beyond  my  reach  for  good 
and  all. 

Over  the  next  twelve  months  it  would 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


23 


perhaps  be  better  that  I  should  draw  a  veil. 
Even  now  I  scarcely  like  to  think  of  them. 
It  is  enough  for  me  to  say  that  for  upwards 
of  a  month  I  remained  in  London,  searching 
high  and  low  for  employment.  This,  how- 
ever, was  easier  looked  for  than  discovered. 
Try  how  I  would,  I  could  hear  of  nothing. 
Then,  weary  of  the  struggle,  I  accepted  an 
ofTer  made  me,  and  left  England  as  surgeon 
on  board  an  outward-bound  passenger  steam- 
er for  Australia. 

Ill  luck,  however,  still  pursued  me,  for  at 
the  end  of  my  second  voyage  the  Company 
went  into  liquidation,  and  its  vessels  were 
sold.  I  shipped  on  board  another  boat  in  a 
similar  Cdpacity,  did  two  voyages  in  her  to 
the  Cape,  where  on  a  friend's  advice  I  bade 
her  good-bye,  and  started  for  Ashanti  as  sur- 
geon to  an  Inland  Trading  Company.  While 
there  I  was  wounded  in  the  neck  by  a  spear, 
was  compelled  to  leave  the  Company's  serv- 
ice, and  eventually  found  myself  back  once 
more  in  London  tramping  the  streets  in 
search  of  employment.  Fortunately  I  had 
managed  to  save  a  small  sum  from  my  pay. 


n 


r 


i 


It  IV 

■  i  I  ■ 


24 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


SO  that  I  was  not  altogether  destitute.  It  was 
not  long,  however,  before  this  was  exhausted, 
and  then  things  looked  blacker  than  they  had 
ever  done  before.  What  to  do  I  knew  not. 
I  had  long  since  cast  my  pride  to  the  winds, 
and  was  now  prepared  to  take  anything,  no 
matter  what.  Then  an  idea  struck  me,  and 
on  it  I  acted. 

Leaving  my  lodgings  on  the  Surrey  side 
of  the  river,  I  crossed  Blackfriars  Bridge,  and 
made  my  way  along  the  i:-mbankment  in  a 
westerly  direction.  As  I  went  I  could  not 
help  contrasting  my  present  appearance  with 
that  I  had  shown  on  the  last  occasion  I  had 
walked  that  way.  Then  I  had  been  as  spruce 
and  neat  as  a  man  could  well  be;  boasted  a 
good  coat  to  my  back  and  a  new  hat  upon 
my  head.  Now,  however,  the  coat  and 
hat,  instead  of  speaking  for  my  prosperity, 
as  at  one  time  they  might  have  done,  bore 
unmistakable  evidence  of  the  disastrous 
change  which  had  taken  place  in  my  for- 
tunes. Indeed,  if  the  truth  must  be  con- 
fessed, I  was  about  as  sorry  a  specimen  of 
the    professional    man    as    could    be    found 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT, 


25 


in  the  length  and  breadth  of  the   Metrop- 
olis. 

Reaching  the  thoroughfare  in  which  I  had 
heard  Kelleran  had  taken  up  his  abode,  I 
cast  about  me  for  a  means  of  ascertaining  his 
number.  Compared  with  that  in  which  I 
myself  resided,  this  was  a  street  of  palaces, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  I  could  read  the  char- 
acters of  the  various  tenants  in  the  appear- 
ance of  each  house-front.  The  particular  one 
before  which  I  was  standing  at  the  moment 
was  frivolous  in  the  extreme:  the  front  door 
was  daintily  painted,  an  elaborate  knocker  or- 
namented the  centre  panel,  while  the  windows 
were  without  exception  curtained  with  ex- 
pensive stuffs.  Everything  pointed  to  the 
mistress  being  a  lady  of  fashion;  and  having 
put  one  thing  and  another  together,  I  felt 
convinced  I  should  not  find  my  friend  there. 
The  next  I  came  to  was  a  residence  of  more 
substantial  type.  Here  everything  was  solid 
and  plain,  even  to  the  borders  of  severity.  If 
I  could  sum  up  the  owner,  he  was  a  success- 
ful man,  a  lawyer  from  choice,  a  bachelor,  and 
possibly,  and  even  probably,  a  bigot  on  mat- 


I, 


(Jl 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 

ters  of  religion.  He  would  have  two  or  three 
friends — not  more  I  thought — all  of  whom 
would  be  advanced  in  years,  and,  like  him- 
self, successful  men  of  business.  He  would 
be  able  to  appreciate  a  glass  of  dry  sherry,  and 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  anything  that 
did  not  bear  the  impress  of  being  a  gilt-edged 
security.  As  neither  of  these  houses  seemed 
to  suggest  that  they  would  be  likely  to  know 
anything  of  the  man  I  wanted,  I  made  my 
way  farther  down  the  street,  keeping  my  eyes 
open  as  I  proceeded.  At  last  I  came  to  a 
standstill  before  one  that  I  was  prepared  to 
swear  was  inhabited  by  my  old  friend.  His 
character  was  stamped  unmistakably  upon 
every  inch  of  it:  the  untidy  windows,  the  pile 
of  books  upon  a  table  behind  them,  the  marks 
upon  the  front  door  where  his  impatient  foot 
had  often  pressed  while  he  turned  his  latch- 
key: all  these  spoke  of  Kelleran,  and  I  was 
certain  my  instinct  was  not  misleading  me. 
Ascending  the  steps,  I  rang  the  b^ll.  It  was 
answered  by  a  tall  and  somewhat  austere 
woman  of  between  forty  and  fifty  years  of  age, 
upon  whom  a  coquettish  frilled  apron  and  cap 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


27 


sat  with  incongruous  effect.  As  I  afterwards 
learnt,  she  had  been  Kelleran's  nurse  in  by- 
gone years,  and  since  he  had  become  a  house- 
holder she  had  taken  charge  of  his  domestic 
arrangements  and  ruled  both  himself  and  his 
maidservants  with  a  rod  of  iron. 

"  Would  you  be  kind  enough  to  inform 
me  if  Mr.  Kelleran  is  at  home?  "  I  asked, 
after  we  had  taken  stock  of  each  other. 

"  He  has  been  abroad  for  more  than  three 
months,"  the  woman  answered  abruptly. 
Then,  seeing  the  disappointment  upon  my 
face,  she  added,  "  I  don't  know  when  we  may 
expect  him  home.  He  may  be  here  on  Sat- 
urday, and,  on  the  other  hand,  we  may  not 
see  him  for  two  or  three  weeks  to  come.  But 
perhaps  you'll  not  mind  telling  me  what  your 
business  with  him  may  be?  " 

"  It  is  not  very  important,"  I  answered 
humbly,  feeling  that  my  position  was,  to  say 
the  least  of  it,  an  invidious  one.  "  I  am  an 
old  friend,  and  I  wanted  to  see  him  for  a  few 
minutes.  Since,  however,  he  is  not  at  home, 
it  does  not  matter,  I  assure  you.  I  shall  have 
other  opportunities  of  communicating  with 


"i 


i-t 


M 


28 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


u 


f: 

i            ; 

'      1 

'<  .  i  I 

1:1 

'] 

! 

1 

i     . 

1     ' 

1 

« 

i,  '  '■ 

-i    1 

c' 

him.  At  the  same  time,  you  might  be  kind 
enough  to  tell  him  I  called." 

"  In  that  case  you'd  better  let  me  know 
your  name,"  she  replied,  with  a  look  that  sug- 
gested as  plainly  as  any  words  could  speak 
that  she  did  not  for  an  instant  believe  my 
assertion  that  I  was  a  friend  of  her  master's. 

"  My  name  is  Ingleby,"  I  said.  "  Mr. 
Kelleran  will  be  sure  to  remember  me.  We 
were  at  the  same  hospital." 

She  gave  a  scornful  sniff  as  if  such  a  thing 
would  be  very  unlikely,  and  then  made  as  if 
she  would  shut  the  door  in  my  face.  I  was 
not,  however,  to  be  put  off  in  this  fashion. 
Taking  a  card  from  my  pocket,  I  scrawled 
my  name  and  present  address  upon  it  and 
handed  it  to  her. 

"  Perhaps  if  you  will  show  that  to  Mr. 
Kelleran  he  would  not  mind  writing  to  me 
when  he  comes  home,"  I  said.  "  That  is 
where  I  am  living  just  now." 

She  glanced  at  the  card,  and,  noting  the 
locality,  sniffed  even  more  scornfully  than 
before.  It  was  evident  that  this  was  the  only 
thing  wanting  to  confirm  the  bad  impression 


74;: 


ii-s^ 


DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


29 


I  had  created  in  her  mind.  For  sonic  sec- 
onds there  was  an  ominous  silence. 

"  Very  well,"  she  answered,  at  length, 
"  I'll  give  it  to  him.  But — why,  Heaven  save 
us!  what's  the  matter?  You're  as  white  as 
a  sheet.  Why  didn't  you  say  you  were  feel- 
ing ill?  " 

I  had  been  running  it  rather  close  for 
more  than  a  week  past,  and  the  news  that 
Kelleran,  my  last  hope,  was  absent  from  Eng- 
land had  unnerved  me  altogether.  A  sudden 
giddiness  seized  me,  and  under  the  influence 
of  it  I  should  have  fallen  to  the  ground  had 
I  not  clutched  at  the  railings  by  my  side.  It 
was  then  that  the  real  nature  of  the  woman 
became  apparent.  Like  a  ministering  angel 
she  half  led,  half  supported  me  into  the  house, 
and  seated  me  on  a  chair  in  the  somewhat 
sparsely  furnished  hall. 

"  Friend  of  the  master,  or  no  friend,"  I 
heard  her  say  to  herself,  "  I'll  take  the  risk 
of  it." 

I  heard  no  more,  for  my  senses  had  left 
me.  When  they  returned  I  found  myself 
lying  upon  a  sofa  in  Kelleran's  study,   the 


nr 


'af 


^  DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 

housekeeper  standing  by  my  side,  and  a  maid- 
servant casting  sympathetic  glances  at  me 
from  the  doorway. 

*'  I'm  afraid  I  have  put  you  to  a  lot  of 
trouble,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  I  had  recovered 
myself  sufficiently  to  speak.  "  I  cannot  think 
what  made  me  go  off  like  that.  I  have  never 
done  such  a  thing  in  my  life  before." 

"  You  can't  think?  "  queried  the  woman, 
with  a  curious  intonation  that  was  not  lost 
upon  me.  "  Then  it's  very  plain  you've  not 
much  wit  about  you.  I  think,  voung  man, 
I  could  make  a  very  good  guess  at  the  truth 
if  I  wanted  to.  Howsomever,  let  that  be  as 
it  may,  I'll  put  a  bit  of  it  right  before  you 
leave  this  house,  or  my  name's  not  what  it 
is."  Then  turning  to  the  maid,  who  was  still 
watching  me,  she  continued  sharply,  **  Be  off 
about  your  business,  miss,  and  do  as  I  told 
you.  Are  you  going  to  waste  all  the  after- 
noon standing  there  staring  about  you  like 
a  gaby?  " 

The  girl  disappeared,  only  to  return  a  few 
minutes  later  with  a  tray,  upon  which  was  a 
substantial  meal  of  cold  meat. 

\ 


HI 


is 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


31 


On  the  old  woman's  authorisation  I  sat 
down  to  it,  and  dined  as  I  had  not  done  for 
months  past. 

"  There,"  she  said,  with  an  air  of  triumph 
as  I  finished,  **  that  will  make  a  new  man  of 
you."  Then,  having  done  all  she  could  for 
me,  and  repenting,  perhaps,  of  the  leniency 
she  had  shown  me,  she  returned  to  'ler  former 
abrupt  demeanour,  and  informed  me,  in  terms 
there  was  no  mistaking,  that  her  time  was 
valuable,  and  that  it  behoved  me  to  be  off 
about  my  business  as  soon  as  possible.  While 
she  had  been  speaking,  my  eyes  had  trav- 
elled round  the  room  until  they  alighted  upon 
the  mantelpiece  (it  was  covered  with  pipes, 
books,  photographs,  and  all  the  innumerable 
odds  and  ends  that  accumulate  in  a  bachelor's 
apartment),  where  I  discovered  my  own  por- 
trait with  several  others.  I  remembered  hav- 
ing given  it  to  Kelleran  two  years  before.  It 
was  not  a  very  good  one,  but  with  its  assist- 
ance I  proposed  to  establish  my  identity  and 
prove  to  my  stern  benefactor  that  I  was 
not  altogether  the  impostor  she  believed  me 
to  be. 


$9 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


**  I  cannot  tell  you  how  grateful  I  am  to 
you  for  all  you  have  done,"  I  said,  as  I  rose 
and  prepared  to  take  my  departure  from  the 
house.  *'  At  the  same  time  I  am  very  much 
afraid  you  do  not  altogether  believe  that  I 
am  the  friend  of  your  master's  that  I  pretend 
to  be." 

"  Tut,  tut!  "  she  answered.  **  If  I  were  in 
your  place  I'd  say  no  more  about  that. 
Least  said  soonest  mended,  is  my  motto.  I 
trust,  however,  I'm  a  Christian  woman,  and 
do  my  best  to  help  folk  in  distress.  But  I've 
warned  ye  already  that  I've  eyes  in  my  head 
and  wit  enough  to  tell  what's  o'clock  just  as 
well  as  my  neighbours.  Why,  bless  my  soul, 
you  don't  think  I've  been  all  my  years  in  the 
world  without  knowing  what's  what,  or  who's 
who? "  7  . 

She  paused  as  if  for  breath;  and,  embrac- 
ing the  opportunity,  I  crossed  the  room  and 
took  from  the  chimneypiece  the  photograph 
to  which  I  have  just  alluded. 

**  Possibly  this  may  help  to  reassure  you,** 
I  said,  as  I  placed  it  before  her.  "  I  do  not 
think  I  have  changed  so  much,  since  it  was 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


33 


taken,    that    you    should    fail    to    recognise 


me. 

She  picked  up  the  photo  and  looked  at 
it,  reading  the  signature  at  the  bottom  with 
a  puzzled  face. 

"  Heaven  save  us,  so  it  is! "  she  cried, 
when  the  meaning  of  it  dawned  upon  her. 
*'  You  are  Mr.  Ingleby,  after  all?  Well,  I  am 
a  softy,  to  be  sure.  I  thought  you  were  try- 
ing to  take  me  in.  So  many  people  come 
here  asking  to  see  him,  saying  they  were  at 
the  hospital  with  him.  If  I'd  have  thought 
it  really  was  you,  Td  have  bitten  my  tongue 
out  before  I'd  have  said  what  I  did.  Why, 
sir,  the  master  talks  of  you  to  this  day:  it's 
Ingleby  this,  and  Ingleby  that,  from  morning 
till  night.  Many's  the  time  he's  made  inquiries 
from  gentlemen  who've  been  here,  in  the  hope 
of  finding  out  what  has  become  of  ye." 

"  God  bless  him!  "  I  said,  my  heart  warm- 
ing at  the  news  that  he  had  not  forgotten 
me.     "  We  were  the  best  of  friends  once." 

"  But,  Mr.  Ingleby,"  continued  the  old 
woman  after  a  pause,  "  if  you'll  allow  me  to 
say  so,  I  don't  like  to  see  you  like  this.     You 


I'i 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 

must  have  seen  a  lot  of  trouble,  sir,  to  have 
got  in  such  a  state." 

"  The  world  has  not  treated  me  very  kind- 
ly," I  answered,  with  an  attempt  at  a  smile, 
"but  I'll  tell  Kelleran  all  about  it  when  I 
see  him.  You  think  it  is  possible  he  may  be 
home  on  Saturday?  " 

"  I  hope  so,  sir,  I'm  sure,"  she  replied. 
"  You  may  be  certain  I'll  give  him  your  ad- 
dress, and  tell  him  youVe  called,  the  moment 
I  see  him." 

I  thanked  her  again  for  her  trouble,  and 
took  my  departure,  feeling  a  very  different 
man  as  I  went  down  the  steps  and  turned 
my  face  citywards.  In  my  own  heart  I  felt 
certain  Kelleran  would  do  something  to  help 
me.  Had  I  known,  however,  what  that  some- 
thing was  destined  to  be,  I  wonder  whether 
I  should  have  awaited  his  coming  with  such 
eagerness. 

As  it  transpired,  it  was  on  the  Friday  fol- 
lowing my  call  at  his  house  that,  on  return- 
ing to  my  lodgings  after  another  day's  fruit- 
less search  for  employment,  I  found  the  fol- 
lowing letter  awaiting  me.     The  handwriting 


sUi4,, 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 

was  as  familiar  to  me  as  my  own,  and  it  may 
be  imagined  with  what  eagerness  I  tore  open 
the  envelope  and  scanned  the  contents.  It 
ran: — 


"  My  dear  Ingleby:  It  was  a  pleasant 
welcome  home  to  hear  that  you  were  in  Eng- 
land once  more.  I  am  sorry,  however,  to  find 
from  my  housekeeper  that  affairs  have  not 
been  prospering  with  you.  This  must  be 
remedied,  and  at  once.  I  flatter  myself  I  am 
just  the  man  to  do  it.  It  is  possible  you  may 
consider  me  unfeeling  when  I  say  that  there 
never  was  such  luck  as  your  being  in  want 
of  employment  at  this  particular  moment. 
I've  a  billet  standing  ready  and  waiting  for 
you;  one  of  the  very  sort  you  are  best  fitted 
for,  and  one  which  you  will  enjoy,  unless  you 
have  lost  your  former  instincts.  You  have 
never  met  Dr.  Nikola,  but  you  must  do  so 
without  delay.  I  tell  you,  Ingleby,  he  is  the 
most  wonderful  man  with  whom  I  have  ever 
been  brought  in  contact.  We  chanced  upon 
each  other  in  St.  Petersburg  three  months 
ago,  and  since  then  he's  had  a  fascination  for 


I  !t 


:l  ^-l^' 


•!  i 


i  1 


il 


i  \i 


.1 


:t 


A  \'i:      [  I 


^ 


36 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


me  such  as  no  other  man  has  ever  had.  I 
have  spoken  of  you  to  him,  and  in  conse- 
quence he  dines  with  me  to-night  in  the  hope 
of  meeting  you.  Whatever  else  you  do, 
therefore,  do  not  fail  to  put  in  an  appearance. 
You  cannot  guess  the  magnitude  of  the  ex- 
periment upon  which  he  is  at  work.  At  first 
glance,  and  in  any  other  man,  it  would  seem 
incredible,  impossible,  almost  absurd.  When, 
however,  you  have  seen  him,  I  venture  to 
say  you  will  not  doubt  that  he  will  carry  it 
through.  Let  me  count  upon  you  to-night, 
then,  at  seven. 

"  Always  your  friend, 

"  Andrew  Fairfax  Kelleran." 

I  read  the  letter  again.  What  did  it 
mean?  At  any  rate,  it  contained  a  ray  of 
hope.  It  would  have  to  be  a  very  curious 
billet,  I  told  myself,  under  present  circum- 
stances, that  I  would  refuse.  But  who  was 
this  extraordinary  individual.  Dr.  Nikola,  who 
seemed  to  have  exercised  such  a  fascination 
over  my  enthusiastic  friend?  Well,  that  I 
had  to  find  out  for  myself. 


CHAPTER  II. 


The  clocks  in  the  neighbourhood  had 
scarcely  ceased  striking  when  I  ascended  the 
steps  of  Kelleran's  house  and  rang  the  bell. 
Even  had  he  not  been  so  impressive  in  his 
invitation  there  was  small  likelihood  of  my 
forgetting  the  appointment.  I  had  been 
waiting  for  it,  hour  by  hour,  with  an  impa- 
tience that  can  only  be  understood  when  I 
say  that  each  one  was  bringing  me  nearer 
the  only  proper  meal  I  had  had  since  I  last 
visited  his  abode. 

The  door  was  opened  to  me  by  the  same 
faithful  housekeeper  who  had  proved  herself 
such  a  ministering  angel  on  the  previous  oc- 
casion. She  greeted  me  as  an  old  friend,  but 
with  a  greater  respect  than  she  had  shown 
when  we  had  last  talked  together.  This  lid 
not  prevent  her,  however,  from  casting  a 
scrutinising  eye  over  me,  as  much  as  to  say, 

37 


ll  ^^ 


lit 


38 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


"  You  look  a  bit  more  respectable,  my  lad, 
but  your  coat  is  very  green  at  the  seams,  your 
collar  is  frayed  at  the  edge,  and  you  sniff  the 
smell  of  dinner  as  if  you  have  not  had  a  de- 
cent meal  for  longer  than  you  care  to  think 
about ; "  all  of  which  would  have  been  per- 
fectly true. 

"  Step  inside,"  she  said;  "  Mr.  Kelleran's 
waiting  for  you  in  the  study,  I  know."  Then 
sinking  her  voice  to  a  whisper  she  added: 
"  There's  duck  and  green  peas  for  dinner,  and 
as  soon  as  the  other  gentleman  arrives  I  shall 
tell  cook  to  dish.     He'll  not  be  long  now." 

What  answer  I  should  have  returned  I 
cannot  say,  but  as  she  finished  speaking  a 
door  farther  down  the  passage  opened,  and 
my  old  friend  made  his  appearance  with  that 
impetuosity  which  always  characterised  him. 

"  Ingleby,  my  dear  fellow,"  he  cried,  as 
he  ran  with  outstretched  hand  to  greet  me, 
"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  pleased  I  am  to  see 
you  again.  It  seems  years  since  I  last  set 
eyes  on  you.  Come  along  in  here;  I  want 
to  have  a  good  look  at  you.  We've  tons  of 
things  to  say  to  each  other,  and  heaps  of 


^Vh 


DR.  NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


39 


questions  to  ask,  haven't  we?  And,  by  Jove, 
we  must  look  sharp  about  it  too,  for  in  a 
few  minutes  Nikola  will  be  here.  I  asked 
him  to  come  at  a  quarter  past  seven,  in  order 
that  we  might  have  a  little  time  alone  to- 
gether first." 

So  saying,  he  led  me  into  his  study,  the 
same  in  which  I  had  returned  to  my  senses 
after  my  fainting  fit  a  few  days  before,  and 
bade  me  seat  myself  in  an  easy  chair. 

"  You  can't  think  how  good  it  is  to  see 
you  again,  Kelleran,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  I 
could  get  in  a  word.  "  I  had  begun  to  think 
niyself  forgotten  by  all  my  friends." 

"  Bosh!  "  was  his  uncompromising  reply. 
"  Talk  about  your  friends — why,  you  never 
know  who  they  are  till  you're  in  trouble!  At 
least,  that's  what  I  always  think.  And,  by 
the  way,  let  me  tell  you  that  you  do  look 
a  bit  pulled  down.  I  wonder  what  idiocy 
you've  been  up  to  since  I  saw  you  last.  Tell 
me  all  about  it.  You  won't  smoke?  Very 
good !  now  fire  away !  " 

Thus  encouraged,  I  told  him  in  a  few 
words  all  my  experiences  since  we  had  last 


7 


r        ! 


40 


DR.  NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


J   lb 


1'    f  / 


I 


^ 

'1 

( 

( 

f::  ^ 

^i 


met.  While  I  was  talking  he  stood  before 
me,  his  face  lit  up  with  interest,  and  to  ail 
intents  and  purposes  as  absorbed  in  my  story 
as  if  it  had  been  his  own. 

**  Well,  well,  thank  goodness  it  is  all  over 
now,"  he  said,  when  I  had  brought  my  tale 
to  a  conclusion.  "  I've  found  you  a  billet 
that  will  suit  you  admirably,  and  if  you  play 
your  cards  well  there's  no  saying  to  what  it 
may  not  lead.  Nikola  is  the  most  marvellous 
man  in  the  world,  as  you  will  admit  when 
you  meet  him.  I,  for  one,  have  never  seen 
anybody  like  him;  and  as  for  this  new  scheme 
of  his,  why,  if  he  brings  it  off,  I  give  you  my 
word  it  will  revolutionise  science." 

I  was  too  well  acquainted  with  my  friend's 
enthusiastic  way  of  talking  to  be  surprised  at 
it;  at  the  same  time  I  was  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  his  cleverness,  and  for  this  rea- 
son I  was  prepared  to  believe,  if  he  thought 
well  of  any  scheme,  that  there  was  something 
out  of  the  common  in  it. 

"  But  what  is  this  wonderful  idea? "  I 
asked,  scarcely  able  to  contain  my  longing, 
as  the  fumes  of  dinner  penetrated  to  us  from 


>u 


.{1 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


m 


the  regions  below.  "  And  *^ow  am  I  affected 
by  it?" 

"  That  I  must  leave  for  Dr.  Nikola  to  tell 
you  himself,"  Kelleran  replied.  *'  Let  it  suf- 
fice for  the  moment  that  I  envy  your  oppor- 
tunity. I  believe  if  I  had  been  able  to  avail 
myself  of  the  chance  he  offered  me  of  going 
into  it  with  him,  I  should  have  been  com- 
pelled to  sacrifice  you.  But  there,  you  will 
hear  all  about  it  in  good  time,  for  if  I  mis- 
take not  that  is  his  cab  drawing  up  outside 
now.  It  is  one  of  his  peculiarities  to  be  al- 
ways punctual  to  the  moment.  V/hat  do  you 
make  the  right  time  by  your  watch?  " 

I  was  obliged  to  confess  that  I  possessed 
no  watch.  It  had  been  ti  "ned  into  the  nec- 
essaries of  existence  long  since.  Kelleran 
must  have  seen  what  was  passing  in  my  mind, 
though  he  pretended  not  to  have  noticed  it; 
at  any  rate  he  said,  "  I  make  it  a  quarter  past 
seven  to  the  minute,  and  I  am  prepared  to 
wager  that's  our  man." 

A  bell  rang,  and  almost  before  the  sound 
of  it  had  died  away  the  study  door  opened, 
and  the  housekeeper,  with  a  look  of  awe  upon 


r 


h  fi 


i> 


'i 


1 


j( 


42 


DR.  NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


her  face  which  had  not  been  there  when  she 
addressed  me,  announced  "  Dr.  Nikola." 

Looking  back  on  it  now,  in  spite  of  all 
that  has  happened  since,  I  find  that  my  im- 
pressions of  that  moment  are  as  fresh  and 
clear  as  if  it  had  happened  yesterday.  I  can 
see  the  tall,  lithe  figure  of  this  extraordinary 
man,  his  sallow  face,  and  his  piercing  black 
eyes  steadfastly  regarding  me,  as  if  he  were 
trying  to  determine  whether  I  was  capable 
of  assisting  him  in  the  work  upon  which  he 
was  so  exhaustively  engaged.  Never  before 
had  I  seen  such  eyes;  they  seemed  to  look 
me  through  and  through,  and  to  read  my  in- 
most thoughts. 

"  This  gentleman,  my  dear  Kelleran,"  he 
began,  after  they  had  shaken  hands,  and  with- 
out waiting  for  me  to  be  introduced  to  him, 
"  should  be  your  friend  Ingleby,  of  whom 
your  have  so  often  spoken  to  me.  How  do 
you  do,  Mr.  Ingleby?  I  don't  think  there 
is  much  doubt  but  that  we  shall  work  ad- 
mirably together.  You  have  lately  been  in 
Ashanti,  I  perceive." 

I  admitted  that  I  had,  and  went  on  to 


-4 


DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


inquire  how  he  had  become  aware  of  it;  for 
as  Kelleran  had  not  known  it  until  a  few 
minutes  before,  I  did  not  see  how  he  could 
be  acquainted  with  the  fact. 

"  It  is  not  a  very  difficult  thing  to  tell," 
he  answered,  with  a  smile  at  my  astonish- 
ment, **  seeing  that  you  carry  about  with  you 
the  mark  of  a  Gwato  spear.  If  it  were  neces- 
sary I  could  tell  you  some  more  things  that 
would  surprise  you:  for  instance,  I  could  tell 
you  that  the  man  who  cut  it  out  for  you  was 
an  amateur  at  his  wo'\,  that  he  was  left- 
handed,  that  he  was  sh  rt-sighted,  and  that 
he  was  recovering  from  malaria  at  the  time. 
All  this  is  plain  to  the  eye;  but  I  see  our 
friend  Kelleran  fancies  his  dinner  is  getting 
cold,  so  we  had  better  postpone  the  subject 
for  a  more  convenient  opportunity." 

We  accordingly  left  the  study  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  dining-room.  All  day  long  I 
had  been  looking  forward  to  that  moment 
with  the  eagerness  of  a  starving  man,  yet 
when  it  arrived  I  scarcely  touched  anything. 
If  the  truth  must  be  confessed,  there  was 
something  about  this  man  that  made  me  for- 


44 


nR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


H-f 


'•< 


get  such  mundane  matters  as  mere  eating  and 
drinking.  And  I  noticed  that  Nikola  him- 
self scarcely  touched  anything.  For  this  rea- 
son, save  for  the  fact  that  he  himself  enjoyed 
it,  the  bountiful  spread  Kelleran  had  arranged 
was  completely  wasted. 

During  the  progress  of  the  meal  no  men- 
tion was  made  of  the  great  experiment  upon 
which  our  host  had  informed  me  Nikola  was 
engaged.  Our  conversation  was  mainly  de- 
voted to  travel.  Nikola,  I  soon  discovered, 
had  been  everywhere,  and  had  seen  every- 
thing. There  appeared  to  be  no  place  on  the 
face  of  the  habitable  globe  with  which  he  was 
not  acquainted,  and  of  which  he  could  not 
speak  with  the  authority  of  an  old  resident. 
China,  India,  Australia,  South  America, 
North,  South,  East,  and  West  Africa,  were  as 
familiar  to  him  as  Piccadilly,  and  it  was  in 
connection  with  one  of  the  last-named  coun- 
tries that  a  curious  incident  cropped  up. 

We  had  been  discussing  various  cases  of 
catalepsy;  and  to  illustrate  an  argument  he 
was  adducing,  Kelleran  narrated  a  curious  in- 
stance of  lethargy  which  he  had  seen  in  South- 


iC; 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


4S 


ern  Russia.  While  he  was  speaking  '  noticed 
that  Nikola's  face  wore  an  expression  that 
was  partly  one  of  derision  and  partly  of 
amusement. 

"  I  think  I  can  furnish  you  with  an  in- 
stance that  is  even  more  extraordinary,"  I 
said,  when  our  host  had  finished;  and  as  I 
did  so,  Nikola  leaned  a  little  towards  me. 
"  In  fairness  to  your  argument,  however, 
Kelleran,  I  must  admit  that  while  it  comes 
under  the  same  category,  the  malady  in  ques- 
tion confines  itself  almost  exclusively  to  the 
black  races  on  the  West  Coast  of  Africa." 

"  You  refer  to  the  Sleeping  Sickness,  I 
presume?  "  said  Nikola,  whose  eyes  were  fixed 
upon  me,  and  who  was  paying  the  greatest 
attention  to  all  I  said. 

"  Exactly — the  Sleeping  Sickness,"  I  an- 
swered. "  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  see  sev- 
eral instances  of  it  when  I  was  on  the  West 
Coast,  though  the  one  to  which  I  am  refer- 
ring did  not  come  before  me  personally,  but 
was  described  to  me  by  a  man,  a  rather  cu- 
rious character,  who  happened  to  be  in  the 

district  at  the  time.     The  negro  in  question, 
4 


Ij 


:.'i 


PI 


I 


I 


I 


n 


.    i 

■  I 


0^  DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 

a  fine  healthy  fellow  of  about  twenty  years  of 
age,  was  servant  to  a  Portuguese  trader  at 
Cape  Coast  Castle.  He  had  been  up  country 
on  some  trading  expedition  or  other,  and 
during  the  whole  time  had  enjoyed  the  very 
best  of  health.  For  the  first  few  days  after 
his  return  to  the  coast,  however,  he  was  Mn- 
usually  depressed.  Slight  swelling  of  the 
cervical  glands  set  in,  accompanied  by  a  ten- 
dency to  fall  asleep  at  any  time.  This  som- 
nolency gradually  increased;  cutaneous  stim- 
ulation was  tried,  at  first  with  comparative 
success;  the  symptoms,  however,  soon  re- 
curred, the  periods  of  sleep  became  longer 
and  more  frequent,  until  at  last  the  patient 
could  scarcely  have  been  said  to  be  ever 
awake.  The  case,  so  my  informant  said,  was 
an  extremely  interesting  one." 

"  But  what  was  the  result?  "  inquired  Kel- 
leran,  a  little  impatiently.  "  You  have  not 
told  us  to  what  all  this  is  leading." 

"  Well,  the  result  was  that  in  due  course 
the  patient  became  extremely  emaciated — a 
perfect  skeleton,  in  fact.  He  would  take  no 
food,   answered   no   questions,   and   did   not 


I 


,rt| 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


47 


open  his  eyes  from  morning  till  night.  To 
make  a  long  story  short,  just  as  my  informant 
was  beginning  to  think  that  the  end  was  ap- 
proaching, there  appeared  in  Cape  Coast  Cas- 
tle a  mysterious  stranger  who  put  forward 
claims  to  a  knowledge  of  medicine.  He  for- 
gathered with  my  man,  and  after  a  while  ob- 
tained permission  to  try  his  hand  upon  the 
negro." 

"  And  killed  him  at  once,  of  course?  " 
"  Nothing  of  the  sort.  A  thing  happened 
that  you  will  scarcely  credit.  The  whole 
business  was  most  irregular,  I  believe,  but  my 
friend  was  not  likely  to  worry  himself  much 
about  that.  This  new  man  had  his  own  phar- 
macopoeia— a  collection  of  essences  in  small 
bottles,  more  like  what  they  used  in  the  Mid- 
dle Ages  than  anything  else,  I  should  im- 
agine. Having  obtained  possession  of  the 
patient,  he  carried  him  away  to  a  hut  outside 
the  town  and  took  him  in  hand  there  and 
then.  The  man  who  told  me  about  it,  and 
who,  I  should  have  said,  had  had  a  good  ex- 
perience of  the  disease,  assured  me  that  he 
was  as  certain  as  any  one  possibly  could  be 


i 

r. 


48 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'<.?! 


I     i 


that  the  chap  could  not  live  out  the  week; 
and  yet  when  the  new  comer,  ten  days  later, 
invited  him  to  visit  the  hut,  there  was  the 
man  acting  as  his  servant,  waiting  at  table, 
if  you  please,  and  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
though  very  thin,  as  well  as  ever  he  had  been 
in  his  life." 

"  But,  my  dear  fellow,"  protested  Kel- 
leran,  **  Guerin  says  that  out  of  the  148  cases 
that  came  under  his  notice  148  died." 

"  I  can't  help  that,"  I  said,  a  little  warmly 
I  am  afraid.  "  I  am  only  telling  you  what 
my  friend  told  me.  He  gave  me  his  word 
of  honour  that  the  result  was  as  he  described. 
But  I  had  not  finished  my  story  when  you 
interrupted  me.  The  strangest  part  of  the 
whole  business  has  yet  to  be  told.  It  appears 
that  the  man  had  not  only  cured  the  fellow, 
but  that  he  had  the  power  of  returning  him 
to  the  condition  in  which  he  found  him,  at 
will.  It  wasn't  hypnotism,  but  what  it  was 
is  more  than  I  can  say.  At  any  rate  my  in- 
formant described  it  to  me  as  being  about 
the  uncanniest  performance  he  had  ever  wit- 
nessed." »       i  nA  ■•>   i 


|i  !i 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


49 


"  In  what  way?  "  asked  Kelleran.  "  Fur- 
nish us  with  a  more  detailed  account.  There 
was  a  time  when  you  were  a  famous  hand 
at  a  diagnosis." 

"  I  would  willingly  do  so,"  I  answered; 
"  unfortunately,  however,  I  can't  remember 
it  all.  It  appears  that  he  was  always  saying 
the  most  mysterious  things  and  j;ucting  the 
strangest  questions.  On  one  occasion  he 
asked  my  friend,  as  they  were  standing  by 
the  negro's  bedside,  if  there  was  any  one 
whose  image  he  would  care  to  see?  Merton 
at  first  thought  he  was  making  fun  of  him, 
but  seeing  that  he  was  in  earnest  he  con- 
sidered for  a  moment,  and  eventually  an- 
swered that  he  would  very  much  like  to  see 
the  portrait  of  an  old  shipmate  who  had  per- 
ished at  sea  some  six  or  seven  years  prior  to 
his  arrival  on  the  West  Coast.  As  soon  as 
he  had  said  this  the  man  stooped  over  the 
bed  and  opened  the  sleeping  nigger's  eyes. 
*  Examine  the  retina/  he  said,  *  and  I  think 
you  will  see  what  you  want.'  My  friend 
looked." 

"And  what  did  he  see?"  inquired  Kel- 


50 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


/     , 


} 


fi 


iii 


m 


(( 


(( 


<( 


leran.  Nikola  said  nothing,  but  smiled,  as  I 
thought,  a  trifle  sceptically. 

''  It  seems  an  absurd  thing  to  say,  I 
know,"  I  continued,  "  but  he  swore  to  me 
that  he  had  before  him  the  exact  picture  of 
the  man  he  had  referred  to,  standing  on  the 

deck  of  the  steamer  just  as  he  had  last  seen 
him.  It  was  as  clear  and  distinct  as  if  it  had 
been  a  photograph." 

And  all  the  time  the  negro  was  asleep?  " 
Fast  asleep!  "  I  answered.  ^ 

I  should  very  much  like  to  meet  your 
friend,"  said  Kelleran  emphatically.  "  A  man 
with  an  imagination  like  that  must  be  an  ex- 
ceedingly interesting  companion.  But  se- 
riously, my  dear  Ingleby,  you  don't  mean  to 
say  you  wish  us  to  believe  that  all  this 
really  happened?  " 

"  I  am  telling  you  what  he  told  me,"  I 
answered.  "  I  cannot  swear  to  the  truth  of 
it,  of  course,  but  I  will  go  so  far  as  to  say 
that  I  do  not  think  he  was  intentionally  de- 
ceiving me." 

Kelleran  shrugged  his  shoulders  incredu- 
lously, and  for  some  moments  an  uncomfort- 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


51 


able  silence  ensued.  This  was  broken  by 
Nikola. 

"  My  dear  Kelleran,"  he  said,  "  I  don't 
think  you  are  altogether  fair  to  our  friend 
Ingleby.  As  he  admits,  he  was  only  speak- 
ing on  hearsay,  and  under  these  circum- 
stances he  might  very  easily  have  been  de- 
ceived. Fortunately,  however,  for  the  sake 
of  his  reputation  I  am  in  a  position  to  cor- 
roborate all  he  has  said." 

"The  deuce  you  are!"  cried  Kelleran; 
while  I  was  too  much  astonished  to  speak, 
and  could  only  stare  at  him  in  complete  sur- 
prise. "  What  on  earth  do  you  mean?  Pray 
explain." 

"  I  can  only  do  so  by  saying  that  I  was 
the  man  who  did  this  apparently  wonderful 
thing."       . 

Kelleran  and  I  continued  to  stare  at  him 
in  amazement.  Could  he  be  laughing  at  us? 
And  yet  his  face  was  serious  enough. 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  credit  my  asser- 
tion," said  Nikola,  quietly.  "  And  yet  I  as- 
sure you  it  is  correct.  I  was  the  mysterious 
individual  who  appeared  in  Cape  Coast  Cas- 


s« 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


■( 


tie,  who  brought  with  him  his  own  pharma- 
copceir.,  and  who  wrought  the  miracle  which 
your  friend  appears  to  have  considered  so 
wonderful." 

"  The  coincidence  is  so  extraordinary,"  I 
answered,  as  if  in  protest. 

"  Coincidences  are  necessarily  extraordi- 
nary," Nikola  replied.  "  I  do  not  see  that 
this  one  is  more  so  than  usual."  ^  <■ 

"And  the  miracle?"  ^ 

"  Was  in  reality  no  miracle  at  all,"  he  an- 
swered, "  but  the  logical  outcome  of  a  per- 
fectly natural  process.  Pray  do  not  look  so 
incredulous.  I  am  aware  that  my  statement 
is  difficult  to  believe,  but  I  assure  you,  my 
dear  Ingleby,  that  it  is  quite  true.  How- 
ever, proof  is  always  better  than  assertion,  so, 
since  you  are  still  sceptical,  let  me  make  my 
position  right  with  you.  For  reasons  that 
will  be  self-evident  I  cannot  produce  the 
efifect  in  a  negro's  eye,  but  I  can  do  so  in  a 
way  that  will  strike  you  as  being  scarcely  less 
marvellous.  If  you  will  draw  up  your  chairs 
I  will  endeavour  to  explain." 

Needless  to  remark,  we  did  as  he  desired; 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


53 


and  when  we  were  seated  on  either  side  of 
him  waited  for  the  manifestation  he  had  prom- 
ised us. 

Taking  a  small  silver  box,  but  little  larger 
than  a  card-case,  from  his  pocket,  he  opened 
it  and  tipped  what  might  have  been  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  black  powder  into  the  centre  of 
a  dessert  plate.  I  watched  it  closely,  in  the 
hope  of  being  able  to  discover  of  vv^hat  it  was 
composed.  My  efforts,  however,  were  un- 
availing. It  was  black,  as  I  have  already 
said,  and  from  a  distance  resembled  powdered 
charcoal.  This,  however,  it  could  not  have 
been,  by  reason  of  its  strange  liquidity,  which 
was  as  great  as  that  of  quicksilver,  and  which 
came  into  operation  when  it  had  been  ex- 
posed to  the  air  some  minutes.  Hither  and 
thither  the  stuff  ran  about  the  dish,  and  I 
noticed  that  as  it  did  so  it  gradually  lost  its 
original  sombre  hue  and  took  to  itself  a  va- 
riety of  colours  that  were  as  brilliant  as  the 
component  tints  of  the  spectrum.  These 
scintillated  and  quivered  till  the  eyes  were  al- 
most blinded  by  their  radiance,  and  yet  it 
riveted  the  attention  in  such  a  manner  that  it 


Pi 


54 


DK.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


I?;, 


Ill 


was  well-nigh,  if  not  quite,  impossible  to  look 
away  or  to  think  of  anything  else.  In  vain 
I  tried  to  calm  myself,  in  order  that  I  might 
be  a  cool  and  collected  observer  of  what  was 
taking  place.  Whether  there  was  any  per- 
fume thrown  off  by  the  stuff  upon  the  plate 
I  cannot  say,  but  as  I  watched  it  my  head 
began  to  swim  and  my  eyelids  felt  as  heavy 
as  lead.  That  this  was  not  fancy  upon  my 
part  is  borne  out  by  the  fact  that  Kelleran 
afterwards  confessed  to  me  that  he  experi-  , 
enced  exactly  the  same  sensations.  Nikola,  ' 
however,  was  still  manipulating  the  dish,  turn- 
ing it  this  way  and  that,  as  if  he  were  anxious 
to  produce  as  many  varieties  of  colour  as 
possible  in  a  given  time.  It  must  have 
been  upwards  of  five  minutes  before  he 
spoke.  As  he  did  so  he  gave  the  plate  an 
extra  tilt,  so  that  the  mixture  ran  down 
to  one  side.  It  was  now  a  deep  purple  in 
colour. 

'*  I  think  if  you  will  look  into  the  centre 
of  the  fluid  you  will  see  something  that  will 
go  a  long  way  towards  convincing  you  of  the 
truth  of  the  assertion  I  made  just  now,"  he 


u 


M  / 


*■'•- 


^-  -^ 


--^■, 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


55 


said,  quietly,  but  without  turning  his  head 
to  look  at  me. 

I  looked  as  he  desired,  but  at  first  could 
see  nothing  save  the  mixture  itself,  which  was 
fast  turning  from  purple  to  blue.  This  blue 
soon  grew  paler;  and  as  I  watched,  to  my 
astonishment,  a  picture  formed  itself  before 
my  eyes.  I  saw  a  long  wooden  house,  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  a  deep  verandah. 
The  latter  was  covered  with  a  beautiful  flow- 
ering creeper.  On  either  side  of  the  dwell- 
ing was  a  grove  of  palms,  and  to  the  right, 
showing  like  a  pool  of  dazzling  quicksilver 
between  the  trees,  was  the  sea.  And  over 
everything  was  the  sensation  of  intense  heat. 
At  first  glance  I  could  not  recall  the  house, 
but  it  was  not  long  before  I  recognised  the 
residence  of  the  man  who  had  told  me  the 
story  which  had  occasioned  this  miracle.  I 
looked  at  it  again,  and  could  even  see  the 
window  of  the  room  in  which  I  had  recov- 
ered from  my  first  severe  attack  of  fever,  and 
from  which  I  never  thought  to  have  emerged 
alive.  With  the  sight  of  it  the  recollection 
of  that  miserable  time  came  back  to  me,  and 


56 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


Kelleran  and  even  his  friend  Nikola  were,  for 
the  time  being,  forgotten. 

**  From  the  expression  upon  your  face  I 
gather  that  you  know  the  place,"  said  Nikola, 
after  I  had  been  watching  it  for  a  few  mo- 
ments. "  Now  look  into  the  verandah,  and 
tell  me  if  you  recognise  the  two  men  /ou  see 
seated  there." 

I  looked  again,  and  saw  that  one  was  my- 
self, while  the  other,  the  man  who  was  lean- 
ing again.,  the  verandah  rail  smoking  a  cigar, 
was  the  owner  of  the  house  itself.  There 
could  be  no  mistake  about  it.  The  whole 
scene  was  as  plain  before  my  eyes  as  if  it  had 
been  a  photograph  taken  oii  the  spot. 

"  There,"  said  Nikola,  with  a  little  note  of 
triumph  in  his  voice,  "  I  hope  that  will  con- 
vince you  that  when  I  say  I  can  do  a  thing, 
I  mean  it." 

So  saying  he  tilted  the  saucer,  and  the 
picture  vanished  in  a  whirl  of  colour.  I  tried 
to  protest,  but  before  I  had  time  to  say  any- 
thing the  liquid  had  in  some  strange  fashion 
resolved  itself  once  more  into  a  powder, 
Nikola  had  tipped  it  back  into  the  silver  box, 


!  H- 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


57 


and  Kelleran  and  I  were  left  to  put  the  best 
explanation  we  could  upon  it.  We  looked 
at  each  other,  and,  feeling  that  I  could  not 
make  head  or  tail  of  what  I  had  seen,  I  waited 
for  him  to  speak. 

"  I  never  saw  such  a  thing  in  my  life,"  he 
cried,  when  he  found  sufficient  voice.  **  If 
any  one  had  told  me  that  such  a  thing  was 
possible  I  would  not  have  believed  him.  I 
can  scarcely  credit  the  evidence  of  my  senses 


now 


»> 


"  In  fact,  you  feel  towards  the  little  ex- 
hibition I  have  just  given  you  very  much 
as  you  did  to  Ingleby's  story  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  ago,"  said  Nikola.  "  What  a  doubting 
world  it  is,  to  be  sure!  The  same  world 
which  ridiculed  the  notion  that  there  could 
be  anything  in  vaccination,  in  the  steam-en- 
gine, in  chloroform,  the  telegraph,  the  tele- 
phone, or  the  phonograph.  For  how  many 
years  has  it  scoffed  at  the  power  of  hypnot- 
ism! How  many  of  our  cleverest  scientists 
fifty  years  ago  could  have  foretold  the  dis- 
covery of  argon,  or  the  possibility  of  being 
able  to  telegraph  without  the  aid  of  wires? 


St 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  CXPERIMENl. 


■  '      |l' 


IB      ' 


;:  Id  \t 


,i  H 


i 


V     i'  0' 


'IK 


And  because  the  little  world  of  to-day  knows 
these  thinga  and  has  survived  the  wonder  of 
them,  it  thinks  it  has  attained  the  end  of  wis- 
dom. Th**  folly  of  it!  To-night  I  have 
shown  you  something  for  ^^hich  less  than  a 
hundred  years  ago  I  should  have  been  stoned 
as  3  wizard.  At  my  death  the  secret  will  be 
given  to  the  world,  and  the  world,  when  it 
has  recovered  from  its  astonishment,  v/ill  say, 
*  How  very  simple!  why  did  no  one  think  of 
it  before?'  /  tell  you,  gentlemen,"  Nikola 
continued,  rising  and  standing  before  the  fire- 
place, "  that  we  three,  to-night,  are  standing 
on  the  threshold  of  a  discovery  which  will 
ihake  the  world  to  its  foundations." 

When  he  had  moved,  Kelleran  and  I  had 
also  pushed  back  our  chairs  from  the  table, 
and  were  now  watching  him  as  if  turned  to 
stone.  The  sacred  fire  of  enthusiasm,  which 
I  thought  had  left  me  for  ever,  was  once  more 
kindling  in  my  breast,  and  I  hung  upon  his 
words  as  if  I  were  afraid  I  might  lose  even 
a  breath  that  escaped  his  lips.  As  for  Nikola 
himself,  his  usually  pallid  face  was  now  aglow 
with  excitement. 


\A  1. 


I-  r. 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


"The  sto.y  is  as  old  as  the  hills,"  he 
began.  "  Ever  since  the  days  when  our  first 
parents  trod  the  earth  there  have  been  men 
who  have  aimed  at  discovering  a  means  of 
lengthening  the  span  of  life.  From  the  very 
infancy  of  science,  the  wisest  and  cleverest 
have  devoted  their  lives  to  the  study  of  the 
human  body,  in  the  hope  of  mastering  its 
secret.  Assisting  in  the  search  for  that 
particular  something  which  was  to  revolu- 
tionise the  world,  we  find  Zosimus  the  The- 
ban,  the  Jewess  Maria,  the  Arabian  Geber, 
Hermes  Trismegistus,  Linnaeus,  Berzelius, 
Cuvier,  Raymond  Lully,  Paracelsus,  Roger 
Bacon,  De  Lisle,  Albertus  Magnus,  and  even 
Dr.  Price.  Each  in  his  turn  quarried  in  the 
mountain  of  Wisdom,  and  died  having  failed 
to  achieve  the  success  he  hoped  for.  And 
why?  Because,  egotistical  as  it  may  seem  on 
my  part  to  say  so,  they  did  not  seek  in  the 
right  place.  They  commenced  at  the  wrong 
point,  and  worked  from  it  in  the  wrong  di- 
*  ction.  But  if  they  failed  to  find  what  they 
„  anted,  they  at  least  rendered  good  service 
I     those  who  folloved  after,  for  from  every 


II    (.  ■  < 


6o 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


,'( 


il: 


r    '\ 


failure  something  may  be  learned.  For  my 
part  I  have  studied  the  subject  in  every  form, 
in  every  detail.  For  more  years  than  I  can 
tell  you,  I  have  lived  for  it,  dreamed  of  it, 
fought  for  it,  and  overcome  obstacles  of  the 
very  existence  of  which  no  man  could  dream. 
The  work  of  my  predecessors  is  known  to 
me;  I  have  studied  their  writings,  and  tested 
their  experiments  to  the  last  particular.  All 
the  knowledge  that  modern  science  has  accu- 
mulated I  have  acquired.  The  magic  of  the 
East  I  have  explored  and  tested  to  the  utter- 
most. Three  years  ago  I  visited  Thibet 
under  extraordinary  circumstances.  There, 
in  a  certain  place,  inaccessible  to  the  ordinary 
man,  and  at  the  risk  of  my  own  life  and  that 
of  the  brave  man  who  accompanied  me,  I  ob- 
tained the  information  which  was  destined  to 
prove  the  coping-stone  of  the  great  discovery 
I  have  since  made.  Only  two  things  were 
wanting  then  to  complete  the  whole  and  to 
enable  me  to  get  to  work.  One  of  these  I 
had  just  found  in  St.  Petersburg  when  I  first 
met  you,  Kelleran;  the  other  I  discovered 
three  weeks  ago.     It  has  been  a  long  and 


t, 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


6l 


tedious  search,  but  such  labour  only  makes 
success  the  sweeter.  The  machinery  is  now 
prepared;  all  that  remains  is  to  ht  the  various 
parts  together.  In  six  months'  time,  if  all 
jjoes  well,  I  will  have  a  man  walking  upon 
tliis  earth  who,  under  certain  conditions,  shall 
live  a  thousand  years." 

I  could  scarcely  believe  that  I  heard  aright. 
Was  the  man  deliberately  asking  us  to  be- 
lieve that  he  had  really  found  the  way  to  pro- 
long human  life  indefinitely?  It  sounded 
very  much  like  it,  and  yet  this  was  the  Nine- 
teenth Century  and  .  .  .  But  at  this  point  I 
ceased  my  speculations.  Had  I  not,  only 
that  evening,  witnessed  an  exhibition  of  his 
marvellous  powers?  If  he  had  penetrated  so 
far  into  the  Unknowable — at  least  what  we 
considered  the  unknowable — as  to  be  able  to 
work  such  a  miracle,  why  should  we  doubt 
that  he  could  carry  out  what  he  was  now  pro- 
fessing to  be  able  to  do? 

"  And  when  shall  we  be  permitted  to  hear 
the  result  of  your  labours?  "  asked  Kelleran 
with  a  humility  that  was  surprising  in  a  man 
usually  so  self-assertive. 


^    ,f 


62 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


a  'si-' 


I  i 


"  Who  can  say?  "  asked  Nikola.  "  These 
things  are  more  or  less  dependent  on  Time, 
It  may  be  only  a  short  period  before  I  am 
ready;  on  the  other  hand  a  lifetime  may 
elapse.  The  process  is  above  all  a  gradual 
one,  and  to  hurry  it  might  be  to  spoil  every- 
thing. And  now,  my  dear  Kelleran,  with 
your  permission  I  will  bid  you  good-night. 
I  leave  for  the  North  at  daybreak,  and  I  have 
much  to  do  befure  I  go.  If  I  am  not  taking 
you  away  too  soon,  Ingleby,  perhaps  you 
would  not  mind  walking  a  short  distance  with 
me.     I  have  a  good  deal  to  say  to  you." 

"  I  shall  be  very  pleased,"  I  answered;  and 
the  look  that  Kelleran  gave  me  s.iowed  me 
that  he  considered  my  decision  a  wise  one. 

"  In  that  case  come  along,"  said  Nikola. 
"  Good-night,  Kelleran,  and  many  thanks  for 
the  introduction  you  have  given  me.  I  feel 
quite  sure  Ingleby  and  I  will  get  on  admi- 
rably together." 

He  shook  hands  with  Kelleran,  and  passed 
into  the  hall,  leaving  me  alone  with  the  man 
who  had  proved  my  benefactor  for  the  sec- 
ond time  in  my  life. 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


63 


"  Good-night,  old  fellow,"  I  said,  as  I 
shook  him  by  the  hand.  "  I  cannot  thank 
you  sufficiently  for  your  goodness  in  putting 
me  in  the  way  of  this  billet.  It  has  given 
me  another  chance,  and  I  shan't  forget  your 
kindness  as  long  as  I  live." 

"  Don't  be  absurd,"  Kelleran  answered. 
"  You  take  things  too  seriously.  I  feel  sure 
the  advantage  is  as  much  Nikola's  as  yours. 
He's  a  wonderful  man,  and  you're  the  very 
fellow  he  requires:  between  you,  you  ought 
to  be  able  to  bring  about  something  that  will 
upset  the  calculations  of  certain  pompous  old 
fossils  of  our  acquaintance.  Good-night,  and 
good  luck  to  you!  " 

So  saying,  he  let  us  out  by  the  front  door, 
and  stood  upon  the  doorstep  watching  us  as 
we  walked  down  the  street.  It  was  an  ex- 
quisite night.  The  moon  was  almost  at  the 
full,  and  her  mellow  rays  made  the  street  al- 
most as  light  as  day.  My  companion  and  I, 
for  some  distance,  walked  in  silence.  He  did 
not  speak,  and  I  already  entertained  too  much 
respect  for  him  to  interrupt  his  reverie. 
More  than  once  I  glanced  at  his  tall  grace- 


64 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


h 


m  ;.i 


ful  figure,  and  the  admirably  shaped  head, 
which  seemed  such  a  fitting  case  for  the  ex- 
traordinary brain  inside. 

**  As  I  said  just  now,"  he  began  at  length, 
as  if  we  were  continuing  a  conversation  which 
had  been  suddenly  interrupted,  **  I  leave  at 
daybreak  for  the  North  of  England.  For  the 
purposes  of  the  experiment  I  am  about  to 
make,  it  is  vitally  necessary  that  I  should  pos- 
sess a  residence  far  removed  from  other  peo- 
ple, where  I  should  not  run  any  risk  of  being 
disturbed.  For  this  reason  I  have  purchased 
Allerdeyne  Castle,  in  Northumberland,  a  fine 
old  place  overlooking  the  North  Sea.  It  is 
by  no  means  an  easy  spot  to  get  at,  and  should 
suit  my  purposes  admirably.  I  shall  not  see 
you  before  I  go,  so  that  whatever  I  have  to 
say  had  better  be  said  at  once.  To  begin 
with,  I  presume  you  have  made  up  your  mind 
to  assist  me  in  the  work  I  am  about  to  under- 
take? " 

"  If  you  consider  me  competent,"  I  an- 
swered, "  I  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  do  so." 

"  Kelleran  has  assured  me  that  I  could  not 
have  a  better  assistant,"  he  replied,  "  and  I 


I   I 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


<l 


am  willing  to  take  you  upon  his  recommen- 
dation. If  you  have  no  objection  to  bring 
forward,  we  may  as  well  consider  the  matter 
settled.  Have  you  any  idea  as  to  the  re- 
muneration you  Vvill  require?  " 

I  answered  that  I  had  not,  and  that  I 
would  leave  it  to  him  to  give  me  what  he 
considered  fair.  In  reply  he  named  a  sum 
that  almost  took  my  breath  away.  I  re- 
marked that  I  should  be  satisfied  with  half 
the  amount,  whereupon  he  laughed  good- 
humouredly. 

'*  I'm  afraid  we're  neither  of  us  good  busi- 
ness men,"  he  said.  "  By  all  the  laws  of 
trade,  on  finding  that  I  offered  you  more  than 
you  expected,  you  should  h..ve  stood  out  for 
twice  as  much.  Still,  I  like  you  all  the  better 
for  your  honesty.  Now  my  road  turns  off 
here,  and  I  will  bid  you  good-night.  In  an 
hour  I  will  send,  my  servant  to  you  with  a 
letter  containing  full  instructions.  I  need 
scarcely  say  that  I  am  sure  you  will  carry  them 
out  to  the  letter." 

"  I  will  do  so,  come  what  may,"  I  an- 
swered seriously. 


i 


i: 


I 


66 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


if  n 


i,;: 


II 


f«i 


"  Then  good-night,"  he  said,  and  held  out 
his  hand  to  me.  '*  All  being  well,  we  shall 
meet  again  in  two  or  three  days." 

"  Good-night,"  1  replied. 

Then,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand  to  mt,  he 
sprang  into  a  hansom  which  he  had  called 
up  to  the  pavement,  gave  the  direction  to  the 
driver,  and  a  moment  later  was  round  the 
corner  and  out  of  sight.  After  he  had  gone, 
I  continued  my  homeward  journey. 

I  had  not  been  in  the  house  an  hour  be-  \ 
fore  I  was  informed  that  some  one  was  at 
the  door  desiring  to  see  me.  I  accordingly 
hurried  downstairs,  to  find  myself  face  to  face 
with  the  most  extraordinary  individual  I  have 
ever  seen  in  my  life.  At  first  glance  I  scarce- 
ly knew  what  to  make  of  him,  but  when  the 
light  from  the  hall  lamp  fell  upon  his  face, 
I  saw  that  he  was  a  Chinaman,  and  the  ugliest 
I  have  ever  seen  in  all  my  experience  of  the 
Mongolian  race.  His  eyes  squinted  terribly, 
a  portion  of  his  nose  was  missing,  and  he 
was  minus  his  left  ear.  It  was  the  sort  of 
face  one  sees  in  a  nightmare,  tuid,  accus- 
tomed as  I  was  by  my  profession  to  horrible 


1  ! 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


67 


sights,  I  must  admit  my  gorge  rose  at  him. 
At  first  it  did  not  occur  to  me  to  connect  him 
with  Nikola. 

"  Do  you  want  to  see  me?  "  I  inquired, 
in  some  astonishment. 

He  nodded  his  head,  but  did  not  speak. 

"  What  is  it  about?  "  I  continued. 

He  uttered  a  peculiar  grunt,  and  produced 
a  letter  and  a  small  box  from  his  pocket,  both 
of  which  he  handed  to  me.  I  understood 
immediately  from  whom  he  came.  Sign- 
ing to  him  to  remain  where  he  was  until  I 
could  tell  him  whether  there  was  an  answer, 
I  turned  into  the  house  and  opened  the 
letter.  Having  read  it,  I  returned  to  the 
front  door. 

"  You  can  tell  Dr.  Nikola  that  I  will  be 
sure  to  attend  to  it,"  I  said.     "  You  savee?  " 

He  nodded  his  head,  and  next  moment 
was  on  his  way  down  the  street.  When  he 
was  out  of  sight  I  returned  to  my  bedroom, 
and,  lighting  the  gas,  once  more  perused  the 
communication  I  had  received.  As  I  did  so 
a  piece  of  paper  fell  from  between  the  leaves. 
I  picked  it  up,  to  discover  that  it  was  a 


IM 


68 


DR.   NIKOLAS   EXPEUIMENT. 


cheque  for  one  himdred  pounds  payable  to 
myself.     The  letter  ran: 


i, 


n 


*i  \ 


:.'.  :< 


"  My  dear  Ingleby:  According  to  the 
promise  I  made  you  this  evening,  I  am  send- 
ing you  herewith  your  instructions,  as  clearly 
worked  out  as  I  can  make  them.  To  begin 
with,  I  want  you  to  remain  in  town  until 
Monday  next.  On  the  morning  of  that  day, 
if  all  goes  well,  you  will  be  advised  by  the 
agent  of  the  Company  in  London  of  the  ar- 
rival in  the  fiver  of  the  steamship  Dofia  Mer- 
cedes, bound  from  Cadiz  to  Newcastle.  On 
receipt  of  that  information  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  board  her  and  to  inquire  for  Don 
Miguel  de  Moreno  and  his  great-granddaugh- 
ter, who  are  passengers  by  the  boat  to  Eng- 
land. I  have  already  arranged  with  the  Com- 
pany  for  your  passage,  so  you  need  have  no 
anxiety  upon  that  score. 

"  You  will  find  the  Don  a  very  old  man, 
and  I  beg  that  you  will  take  the  greatest  pos- 
sible care  of  him.  For  this  reason,  I  have 
sent  you  the  accompanying  drugs,  each  of 
which  is  labelled  with  the  fullest  instructions. 


1 


iiii 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


m 


They  should  net  be  made  use  of  unless  abso- 
lutely required." 

(Here  follow -d  a  list  of  the  various  symp- 
toms for  which  I  was  to  watch,  and  an  ex- 
haustive resume  of  the  treatment  I  was  to  em- 
ploy in  the  event  of  certain  contingencies 
arising.) 

"  On  the  arrival  of  the  vessel  in  New- 
castle "  (the  letter  continued),  *'  I  will  com- 
municate with  you  again.  In  the  meantime  I 
send  you  what  I  think  will  serve  to  pay  your 
expenses  until  we  meet.     Believe  me, 

"  Your  sincere  friend, 

"  Nikola. 


"  P.  S. — One  last  word  of  warning. 
Should  you  by  any  chance  be  brought  into 
contact  with  a  certain  Mongolian  of  very  sin- 
ister appearance,  and  boasting  but  one  ear, 
have  nothing  whatsoever  to  do  with  him. 
Keep  out  of  his  way,  and  above  all  let  him 
know  nothing  of  your  connection  with 
myself.  This,  I  beg  you  to  believe,  is 
no  idle  warning,  for  all  our  lives  d».pend 
upon  it." 


70 


DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


'ii 


Having  thoroughly  mastered  the  contents 
of  this  curious  epistle,  I  turned  my  attention 

t 

to  the  parcel  which  had  accompanied  it. 
This  I  fotuid  vvns  made  up  of  a  number  of 
small  paci  ■?  /idently  containin'^  powders, 
and  two-ou>»cc  ^-/iials  of  some  t-  teless  and 
scentless  liquid,  to  hich  I  was  quite  unable 
to  assign  a  name. 

Once  more  I  glanced  at  the  letter,  in  order 
to  make  sure  of  the  name  of  the  man  whose 
guardian  I  was  destined  for  the  future  to  be.  i 
De  Moreno  was  the  name,  and  his  grand- 
daughter was  accompanying  him.  In  an 
idle,  dreamy  way,  I  wondered  what  the  latter 
would  prove  to  be  like.  For  some  reason  or 
another  I  found  myself  thinking  a  good  deal 
of  her,  and  when  I  fell  asleep  that  night  it 
was  to  dream  that  she  was  standing  before 
me  with  outstretched  hands,  imploring  me 
to  save  her  not  only  from  a  certain  one-eared 
Chinaman,  but  also  from  Nikola  himself. 


CHAPTER  III. 

After  my  meeting  with  Nikola  at  Kel- 
leran's  house,  it  was  a  new  prospect  that  Hfe 
opened  up  for  me.  I  confronted  the  future 
with  a  smiling  face,  and  no  longer  told  my- 
self, as  I  had  done  so  often  of  late,  that  Fail- 
ure and  I  were  inseparable  companions,  an'; 
for  any  success  I  might  hope  to  achieve  in 
the  world  I  had  better  be  out  of  it.  On 
the  contrary,  when  I  retired  to  rest  after  the 
receipt  of  Nikola's  letter,  as  narrated  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  it  was  with  a  happier  heart 
than  I  had  known  for  more  than  two  years 
past,  and  a  fixed  determination  that,  happen 
what  might,  even  if  his  wonderful  experiment 
came  to  nought,  my  new  employer  should  not 
find  me  lacking  in  desire  to  serve  him.  As 
for  that  experiment  itself,  I  scarcely  knew 
what  to  think  about  it.     To  a  man  who  had 

studied  the  human  frame,  its  wonderful  mech- 

71 


I 


I 


'^.  ', 


!  ffi 


'■'J 


i^^ 


72 


DR.  NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


anism  combined  with  its  many  deficiencies 
and  imperfections,  it  seemed  impossible  it 
could  succeed.  And  yet,  strange  as  it  may 
appear  to  say  so,  there  was  something  about 
Nikola  that  made  one  feel  sure  he  would  not 
embark  upon  such  an  undertaking  if  he  were 
not  quite  certain,  or  at  least  had  not  a  well- 
grounded  hope,  of  being  able  to  bring  it  to 
a  favourable  issue.  However,  successful  or 
unsuccessful,  the  fact  remained  that  I  was  to 
be  associated  with  him,  and  the  very  thought  1 
of  such  co-operation  was  sufficient  to  send  the 
blood  tingling  through  my  veins  with  new 
life  and  strength. 

During  the  two  days  that  elapsed  between 
my  meeting  with  Nikola  and  the  arrival  of 
the  vessel  for  which  he  had  told  me  to  be 
on  the  look  out,  I  saw  nothing  of  Kelleran. 
I  was  not  idle,  however.  In  the  first  place 
it  was  necessary  for  me  to  replenish  my  ward- 
robe, which,  as  I  have  already  observed,  stood 
in  need  of  considerable  additions,  and  in  the 
second  I  was  anxious  to  consult  some  books 
of  reference  to  which  Nikola  had  directed  my 
attention.      By  the  time  I  had  done  these 


'I 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


73 


things,  therefore,  I  had  not,  as  may  be  sup- 
posed, very  much  leisure  left,  either  for  pay- 
ing visits  or  for  receiving  them.  1  was  care- 
ful, however,  to  write  thanking  him  for  the 
good  turn  he  had  done  me,  and  wishing  him 
good-bye  in  case  I  did  not  see  him  before 
I  left. 

It  was  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  on 
the  Monday  morning  following  that  I  re- 
ceived a  note  from  the  Steamship  Company 
to  which  Nikola  had  referred,  advising  me 
that  their  vessel,  the  Dofia  Mercedes,  had  ar- 
rived from  Cadiz  and  was  now  lying  in  the 
river,  and  would  sail  for  the  North  at  eleven 
o'clock  precisely.  Accordingly  I  gathered 
"^y  luggage  together,  whc*L  there  was  of  it, 
and  made  my  way  down  to  her.  As  Nikola 
had  predicted,  I  found  her  lying  in  the  Pool. 

On  boarding  her  I  W5>s  confronted  by  a 
big,  burly  man  with  a  long  brown  beard,  which 
blew  over  either  shoulder  and  met  behind 
his  head  as  if  it  were  some  new  kind  of  com- 
forter.    I  inquired  for  the  skipper. 

"  I  am  the  captain,"  he  answered.  "  And 
I  suppose  you  are  Dr.   Ingleby.      I  had  a 


I 


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1 1 


^' 


;i^  m: 


;4 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


t       I 


letter  from  the  owners  saying  you  were  going 
North  with  us.  You  may  be  sure  we'll  do 
our  best  to  make  you  comfortable.  In  the 
meantime  the  steward  will  show  you  your 
berth  and  look  after  your  luggage." 

As  he  said  this  he  beckoned  a  hand  aft 
and  sent  him  below  in  search  of  the  official 
in  question. 

"  I  think  you  have  a  lady  and  gentleman 
on  board  who  are  expecting  me? "  I  re- 
marked, after  the  momentary  pause  which 
followed  the  man's  departure.  ' 

"  That  I  have,  sir,"  he  answered  with  em- 
phasis; "and  a  nice  responsibility  they've 
been  for  me.  I  wouldn't  undertake  another 
like  it  if  I  were  paid  a  hundred  pounds  extra 
for  my  trouble.  But  perhaps  you  know  the 
old  gentleman?  " 

"  I  have  never  seen  him  in  my  life,"  I  re- 
plied, "  but  I  have  to  take  charge  of  him 
until  we  get  to  the  North." 

"  Then  I  wish  you  joy  of  your  work,"  he 
continued.  "  You'll  have  your  time  pretty 
fully  occupied,  I  can  tell  you." 

"  In  what  way?  "  I  inquired.      "  I  shall 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


75 


consider  it  a  favour  if  you  will  tell  me  all  you 
can  about  him.  Is  the  old  gentleman  eccen- 
tric, or  what  is  the  matter  with  him?  '* 

•*  Eccentric?"  replied  the  skipper,  rolling 
his  tongue  round  the  word  as  if  he  liked  its 
flavour.  *'  Well,  he  may  be  that  for  all  I 
know,  but  it's  not  his  eccentricity  that  gives 
the  trouble.  It's  his  age!  Why,  I'll  be 
bound  he's  a  hundred  if  he's  a  day.  He's  not 
a  man  at  all,  only  a  bag  of  bones;  can't  move 
out  of  his  berth,  can't  walk,  can't  talk,  and 
can't  do  a  single  hand's  turn  to  help  himself. 
His  bones  are  almost  through  his  skin,  his 
eyes  are  sunk  so  far  into  his  head  that  you  can 
only  guess  what  they're  like,  and  when  he 
wants  a  meal,  or  when  he's  got  to  have  one, 
I  should  say,  for  he's  past  wanting  anything, 
why,  I'm  blest  if  he  hasn't  to  be  fed  with  pap 
like  a  baby.  It's  a  pitiful  sort  of  a  plight  for 
a  man  to  come  to.  What  do  you  think? 
He'd  far  better  be  dead  and  buried." 

I  thought  I  understood.  Putting  one 
thing  and  an  )ther  together,  the  reason  of  the 
old  man's  journey  North  could  be  easily 
guessed.     At  that  moment  the  seaman,  whom 


76 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


;■!' 


the  skipper  had  sent  in  search  of  the  stew- 
ard, made  his  appearance  from  the  compan- 
ion, followed  by  the  functionary  in  question. 
To  the  latter's  charge  I  was  consigned,  and 
at  his  suggestion  I  followed  him  to  the  cabin 
which  had  been  set  aside  for  my  accommo- 
dation. It  proved  to  be  situated  at  the  after 
end  of  the  saloon,  and  was  as  small  and  poor- 
ly  furnished  an  afifair  as  I  have  ever  slept  in. 
To  make  use  of  the  old  nautical  expression, 
there  was  scarcely  room  in  it  to  swing  a  cat, 
Tiny  as  it  was,  however,  it  was  at  least  better 
than  the  back  street  lodgings  I  had  so  lately 
left;  and  when  I  reflected  that  I  had  paid  all 
I  owed,  had  fitted  myself  out  with  a  new  ward- 
robe, and  had  still  upwards  of  fifty  pounds 
in  pocket,  to  say  nothing  of  being  engaged 
on  deeply  interesting  work,  I  could  have  gone 
down  on  my  knees  and  kissed  the  grimy 
planks  in  thankfulness. 

"  I'm  afraid,  sir,  it's  not  as  large  as  some 
you've  been  accustomed  to,"  said  the  talka- 
tive steward,  apologetically,  as  he  stowed  my 
bags  away  in  a  corner. 

"  How  do  you  know  what  I've  been  ac- 


U  m 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


77 


customed  to?  "  I  asked,  with  a  smile,  as  I 
noticed  his  desire  for  conversation. 

"  I  could  tell  it  directly  I  saw  you  look 
round  this  berth,"  he  answered.  "  People 
can  say  what  they  please,  but  to  my  thinking 
there's  no  mistaking  a  man  who's  spent  any 
time  aboard  ship.  What  line  might  you  have 
been  in,  sir?  " 

I  told  him,  and  had  the  good  fortune  to 
discover  that  his  brother  had  served  the  same 
employ.  Having  thus  established  a  bond  in 
common,  I  proceeded  to  question  him  about 
my  future  charges;  only  to  find  that  this  was 
a  subject  upon  which  he  was  very  willing  to 
converse. 

"  Well,  sir,"  he  began,  seating  himself  fa- 
miliarly on  the  edge  of  my  berth  and  look- 
ing up  at  me,  "  I  don't  know  as  how  I  ought 
to  speak  about  the  old  gentleman  at  all,  see- 
ing he's  a  passenger  and  you're,  so  to  speak, 
in  charge  of  him;  but  this  I  do  say,  without 
fear  or  favour,  that  whoever  brought  him 
away  from  his  home  and  took  him  to  sea  at 
his  time  of  life  did  a  wrong  and  cruel  action. 
Why,  sir,  I  make  so  bold  as  to  tell  you  that 


0^     A 


W  i^l  i' 


i\ 


\>^ 


I  m 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 

from  the  moment  he  was  brought  aboard  this 
ship  until  this  very  second,  he  has  not  spoke 
as  much  as  five  hundred  words  to  me  or  to 
anybody  else.  He  just  lays  there  in  his  bunk, 
hour  aft'^r  hour,  with  his  eyes  open,  looking 
at  the  deck  above  him,  and  as  likely  as  not 
holding  his  great-granddaughter's  hand,  not 
seeming  to  see  or  hear  anything,  and  never 
letting  one  single  word  pass  his  lips.  I've 
known  what  it  is  to  wait  upon  sick  folk  my- 
self, having  spent  close  upon  eight  months  in 
a  hospital  ashore,  but  never  in  my  life,  sir, 
and  I  give  you  my  word  it's  gospel  truth  I'm 
telling  you,  have  I  seen  anything  like  the  way 
that  young  girl  waits  upon  him.  You'll  find 
her  a-sitting  by  him  after  breakfast,  and  if 
you  go  in  at  eight  bells  she'll  be  still  the  same. 
She  has  her  meals  brought  to  her  and  eats 
'em  there,  and  at  night  she  gets  me  to  make 
her  up  a  bed  on  the  deck  alongside  of  him." 

'*  She  must,  indeed,  be  devoted,"  I  an- 
swered, considerably  touched  at  the  picture 
he  drew. 

"  Devoted  is  no  name  for  it,"  replied  the 
man,    with    conviction.      *'  And    it's    by    no 


/  ,r 


)i      U 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


79 


means  pleasant  work  for  her,  sir,  I  can  assure 
you.  Why,  more  than  once  when  I've  gone 
in  there  I've  found  her  leaning  over  the  bunk, 
her  face  just  as  white  as  the  sheet  there,  hold- 
ing a  little  looking-glass  to  his  lips  to  see  if 
he  was  breathing.  Then  she'd  heave  a  big 
sigh  of  relief  to  find  that  there  was  still  life 
in  him,  put  the  glass  back  in  its  place,  and 
sit  down  beside  him  again,  and  go  on  hold- 
ing his  hand,  for  all  the  world  as  if  she  was 
determined  to  cling  on  to  him  until  the 
Judgment  Day.  It  would  bring  the  tears 
into  your  eyes,  I'm  sure,  sir,  to  see  it." 

"  You  have  a  tender  heart,  I  can  see,"  I 
said,  "  and  I  thjnk  the  better  of  you  for  it. 
Do  you  happen  to  know  anything  of  their 
history — where  they  hail  from  or  who  they 
are?" 

"  There  is  one  thing  I  do  know,"  he  an- 
swered, "  and  that  is  that  they're  English  and 
not  Spaniards,  as  the  cook  said,  and  as  you 
might  very  well  think  yourself  from  the  name. 
I  believe  the  old  gentleman  was  a  merchant 
of  some  sort  in  Cadiz,  but  that  must  have 
been  fifty  years  ago.     The  young  lady  is  his 


1 


Hi 


iitO 


II'  ' 


I 


l\ 


I  if 


DR.    NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 

great-granddaughter,  and  I  was  given  to  un- 
derstand that  her  father  and  mother  have  been 
dead  for  many  years.  From  one  thing  and 
another  I  don't  fancy  they've  got  a  penny  to 
bless  themselves  with,  but  it's  plain  there's 
somebody  paying  the  piper,  because  the  skip- 
per got  orders  from  the  office,  just  before  we 
sailed,  that  everything  that  could  be  done  for 
their  comfort  was  to  be  done,  and  money  was 
to  be  no  object.  But  there,  here  I  am  run- 
ning on  in  this  way  to  you,  sir,  who  probably 
know  all  about  them  better  than  I  do." 

"  I  assure  you  I  know  nothing  at  all,  or 
at  least  very  little,"  I  answered  '*  I  ha^  :■ 
simply  received  instructions  to  mett  them 
here,  and  to  look  a^t.  >  '^he  old  gentleman  until 
he  reaches  Newcastle.  What  v^ill  become  of 
them  then  I  can  only  gJiess.  i  presume,  how- 
ever, I  may  rely  on  you  for  assistance,  should 
I  require  it?  " 

"  I'll  do  anything  I  can,  sir,  and  you  may 
be  very  sure  of  that,"  he  replied.  "  I've  taken 
such  a  liking  to  that  young  lady  that  there's 
nothing  I  wouldn't  do  in  reason  to  make  her 
feel  a  bit  happier.      For  it's  my  belief  that 


DR.   NIKOLAS   EXPERIMENT. 


8l 


she's  far  from  easy  in  her  mind  just  now.  I 
remember  once  hearing  an  Orient  steward  tell 
of  a  man  who  was  tied  up  with  a  sword  hang- 
ing over  his  head  by  a  single  hair:  he  never 
knew  from  one  minute  to  another  when  it 
would  fall  and  do  for  him.  Well,  that's  the 
way,  I  fancy,  Miss  Moreno  is  feeling.  There's 
a  sword  hanging  over  her  head  or  her  great- 
grandfather's, and  she  doesn't  know  when  it'll 
drop." 

*'  What  did  you  say  her  name  was?  "  I 
inquired,  for  I  had  for  the  moment  for- 
gotten it. 

"  Moreno,  sir,"  he  replied.  "  The  old 
gentleman  is  Don  Miguel,  and  she  is  the 
Dona  Consuelo  de  Moreno." 

**  Thank  you,"  I  said.  "  And  now,  if  you 
will  tell  me  where  their  cabin  is,  I  think  I 
will  pay  the  old  gentleman  a  visit." 

"  Their  cabin  is  the  one  facing  yours,  sir, 
on  the  starboard  side.  If  it  will  bp  any  con- 
venience to  you,  sir,  I'll  tell  the  young  lady 
you're  aboard.  I  know  she  expects  you,  be- 
cause she  said  so  only  this  morning." 

'*  Perhaps   it   would   be   better   that   you 


^'  l. 


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DR.    NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


should  tell  her,"  I  replied.  "  If  you  will  give 
her  my  compliments  and  say  that  I  will  do 
myself  the  pleasure  of  waiting  upon  her  as 
soon  as  it  is  convenient  for  her  to  see  me,  I 
shall  be  obliged.  I  will  remain  here  until  I 
receive  her  answer." 

The  man  departed  on  his  errand,  and  dur- 
ing his  absence  I  spent  the  time  making  my- 
self as  comfortable  as  my  limited  quarters 
would  permit.  It  was  not  very  long,  how- 
ever, before  he  returned  to  inform  me  that 
the  young  lady  would  be  pleased  to  see  me 
as  soon  as  I  cared  to  visit  their  cabin. 

Placing  my  stethoscope  in  my  pocket  and 
having  thrown  a  hasty  glance  into  the  small 
looking-glass  .over  the  washstand,  in  order  to 
make  sure  that  I  presented  a  fairly  respect- 
able appearance,  I  left  my  quarters  and  made 
my  way  across  the  saloon.  Since  then  I 
have  often  tried  to  recall  my  feelings  at  that 
moment,  but  the  effort  has  always  been  in 
vain.  One  thing  is  certain,  I  had  no  idea  of 
the  importance  the  incident  was  destined  to 
occupy  in  the  history  of  my  life. 

I  knocked  upon  the  door,  and  as  I  did 


4; 


DR,   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 

SO  heard  some  one  rise  from  a  chair  inside 
the  cabin.  The  handle  was  softly  turned,  and 
a  moment  later  the  most  beautiful  g:irl  I  have 
ever  seen  in  my  life  stood  before  me.  I  have 
said  "  the  most  beautiful  girl,"  but  this  docs 
not  at  all  express  what  I  mean,  nor  do  I 
tliink  it  is  in  my  power  to  do  so.  Let  me, 
however,  endeavour  to  give  you  some  idea 
of  what  Doiia  Consuelo  de  Moreno  was  like. 

Try  to  picture  a  tall  and  stately  girl,  in 
reality  scarcely  twenty  years  of  age,  but  look- 
ing several  years  older,  imagine  a  pale,  oval 
face,  lit  up  by  dark  lustrous  eyes  with  uH.g 
lashes  and  delicately  pencilled  brows,  a  tiny 
mouth,  and  hair  as  black  as  the  raven's  wing. 
Taken  altogether,  it  was  not  only  a  very  beau- 
tiful face,  but  a  strong  one,  and  as  I  looked 
at  her  I  wondered  what  the  circumstances 
could  have  been  that  had  brought  her  into 
the  power  of  my  extraordinary  employer. 
That  she  w-as  in  his  power  I  did  not  for  a 
moment  doubt. 

Closing  the  cabin  door  softly  behind  her, 
she  stepped  into  the  saloon. 

The  steward  tells  me  you  are  Dr.  In- 


{( 


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11 


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DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


gleby,"  she  began,  speaking  excellent  English, 
but  with  a  slight  foreign  accent.  Then,  hold- 
ing out  her  tiny  hand  to  me  with  charming 
frankness,  she  continued:  '*  I  was  informed 
by  Dr.  Nikola,  in  a  letter  I  received  this  morn- 
ing, that  you  would  join  the  vessel  here.  It 
is  a  great  relief  to  me  to  know  you  are  on 
board." 

I  said  something,  I  forget  what,  in  answer 
to  the  compliment  she  paid  me,  and  then  in- 
quired how  her  aged  relative  was. 

**  He  seems  fairly  well  at  present,"  she 
answered.  "  As  well,  perhaps,  as  he  ever  will 
be.  But,  as  you  may  suppose,  he  has  given 
me  a  great  deal  of  anxiety  since  we  left  Cadiz. 
This  vessel  is  not  a  good  sea  boat,  and  in 
the  Bay  of  Biscay  we  had  some  very  rough 
weather — so  rough,  indeed,  that  more  than 
once  I  thought  she  must  inevitably  founder. 
However,  we  are  safely  here  now,  so  that  our 
troubles  are  nearly  over.  I  don't  want  you 
to  think  I  am  a  grumbler.  But  I  am  keep- 
ing you  here  when  perhaps  you  would  like 
to  see  grandpapa  for  yourself?  " 

I  answered  in  the  affirmative,  whereupon 


DR.   NIKOLAS   EXPERIMENT. 


85 


she  softly  opened  the  door  again,  and,  beck- 
oning me  to  follow,  led  the  way  into  the 
cabin. 

If  my  own  quarters  on  the  other  side  of 
the  saloon  had  seemed  small,  this  one  seemed 
even  smaller.  There  was  only  one  bunk,  and 
it  ran  below  the  port-hole.  In  this  an  old 
man  was  lying  with  his  hands  clasped  upon 
his  breast. 

"  You  need  not  fear  that  you  will  wake 
him,"  said  the  girl  beside  me.  "  He  sleeps 
like  this  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  Some- 
times he  frightens  me,  for  he  lies  so  still  that 
1  become  afraid  lest  he  may  have  passed  away 
without  my  noticing  it."         ^  ^        j  ^ 

I  did  not  at  all  wonder  at  lier  words.  1" lie 
old  man's  pallor  was  of  that  peculiar  ivory- 
white  which  is  never  seen  save  in  the  very 
old,  and  then  strangely  enough  in  men  oftener 
than  women.  His  eyes  were  deeply  sunken, 
as  were  his  cheeks.  At  one  time — forty  years 
or  so  before — it  must  have  been  a  powerful 
face;  now  it  was  beautiful  only  in  its  soft, 
harmonious  whiteness.  A  long  beard,  white 
as  the  purest  snow,  fell  upon,  and  covered 


86 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


f) 


If 


■Is 


'''!*: 


his  breast,  and  on  it  lay  his  fleshlcss  hands, 
with  their  bony  joints  and  long  yellow  nails. 
The  better  to  examine  him,  I  knelt  down  be- 
side the  bunk  and  took  his  right  wrist  between 
my  finger  and  thumb.  As  I  expected,  the 
pulse  was  barely  perceptible.  For  a  moment 
1  inclined  to  the  belief  that  the  end,  of  which 
his  great-granddaughter  had  spoken  only  a 
few  moments  before,  had  come,  but  a  second 
examination  proved  that  such  was  not  the 
case.  I  gently  replaced  his  hand,  and  then 
rose  to  my  feet. 

**  I  can  easily  understand  your  anxiety,"  I 
said.  **  I  think  you  are  wonderfully  brave  to 
have  undertaken  such  a  voyage.  However, 
for  the  future — that  is  to  say,  until  we  reach 
Newcastle — you  must  let  me  take  it  in  turns 
with  you  to  watch  him." 

"  It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  ofifer  to  do  so," 
she  replied,  **  but  I  could  not  remain  away 
from  him.  I  have  had  charge  of  him  for 
such  a  long  time  now  that  it  has  become 
like  second  nature  to  me.  Besides,  if  he  were 
to  wake  and  not  find  me  by  his  side,  there 
is   no   saying   what   might   happen.      I   am 


'^-4 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


87 


everything  to  him,  and  I  know  so  well  what 
he  requires." 

As  she  said  this,  she  gave  mc  a  look  that 
I  could  not  help  thinking  was  almost  one  of 
defiance,  as  if  she  were  afraiil  that  hy  attend- 
ing to  the  old  man's  wants  I  might  deprive 
her  of  his  affection.  I  accordingly  postponed 
consideration  of  the  matter  for  the  moment, 
and,  having  asked  a  few  questions  as  to  the 
patient's  diet,  retired,  leaving  them  once  more 
alone  together.  From  the  saloon  I  made  my 
way  up  to  the  poop.  The  tide  was  serving, 
and  preparations  were  being  made  for  getting 
under  way. 

Ten  minutes  later  our  anchor  was  at  the 
cathead,  and  we  were  making  our  way  slowly 
down  stream,  and  I  had  begun  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  voyages  it  has  ever  fallen 
to  the  lot  of  man  to  undertake.  During  the 
afternoon  I  paid  several  visits  to  my  patient's 
cabin;  but  on  no  occasion  could  I  discover 
any  change  in  his  condition.  He  lay  in  his 
bunk  just  as  I  had  first  seen  him;  his  sunken 
eyes  stared  at  the  woodwork  above  his  head, 
and  his  left  hand  clasped  that  of  his  great- 


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88 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'     V 


'iX 


J. -if 


granddaughter.  To  my  surprise,  the  motion 
of  the  vessel  seemed  to  cause  him  little  or 
no  inconvenience,  and,  fortunately  for  him, 
his  nurse  was  an  excellent  sailor.  It  was  in 
vain  I  tried  to  induce  her  to  let  me  take  her 
place  while  she  went  up  to  the  deck  for  a 
little  change.  Her  grandfather  might  want 
her,  she  said,  and  that  excuse  seemed  to  her 
sufficient  to  justify  such  trifling  with  her 
health.  Later  on,  however,  after  dinner,  I 
was  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to  induce 
her  to  accompany  me  to  the  deck  for  a  few 
moments,  the  steward  being  left  in  charge  of 
the  patient,  with  instructions  to  call  us  should 
the  least  change  occur.  By  this  time  we  were 
clear  of  the  river,  and  our  bows  were  pointed 
in  a  northerly  direction.  Leaving  the  miser- 
able companion,  which  ascended  to  the  poop 
directly  from  the  cuddy,  we  began  to  pace  the 
deck.  The  night  was  cold,  and,  with  a  little 
shiver,  my  companion  drew  her  coquettish 
mantilla  more  closely  about  her  shoulders. 
There  was  something  in  her  action  which 
touched  me  in  a  manner  I  cannot  describe. 
In  some  vague  fashion  it  seemed  to  appeal 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


89 


to  me  not  only  for  sympathy  but  for  help. 
I  saw  the  beautiful  face  looking  up  at  me, 
and  as  we  walked  I  noted  the  proud  way  she 
carried  herself,  and  the  saildr-like  fashion  in 
which  she  adapted  herself  to  the  rolling  of  the 
ship.  It  was  a  beautiful  moonlight  night,  and 
had  the  vessel  remained  upon  an  even  keel,  it 
would  have  been  very  pleasant  on  deck.  To 
be  steady,  however,  was  a  feat  the  crazy  old 
tub  seemed  incapable  of  accomplishing. 

We  had  paced  the  poop  perhaps  half  a 
dozen  times  when  my  companion  suddenly 
stopped,  and  placing  her  hand  upon  my  arm, 
said: 

"  Dr.  Ingleby,  you  are  in  Dr.  Nikola's 
confidence,  I  believe.  Will  you  tell  me  why 
we  are  going  to  the  North  of  England?  " 

Her  question  placed  me  in  n  awkward 
predicament.  As  I  have  said  above,  her 
loneliness,  not  to  mention  the  devotion  she 
showed  to  her  aged  relative,  had  touched  me 
more  than  a  little.  On  the  other  hand,  I  was 
Nikola's  servant,  employed  by  him  for  a 
special  work,  and  I  did  not  know  whether  he 
would  wish  me  to  discuss  his  plans  with  her. 


90 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


1  ,-■  ( " 


a 


f-    I 


)X     !" 


P. 


"  You  do  not  answer,"  she  continued  as 
she  noticed  my  hesitation.  "  And  yet  I  feel 
sure  you  must  know.  It  all  seems  so  strange. 
Only  a  few  we^s  ago  we  were  in  our  own 
quiet  home  in  Spain,  without  a  thought  of 
leaving  it.  Then  Dr.  Nikola  came  upon  the 
scene,  and  now  we  are  on  board  this  ship 
going  up  to  the  North  of  England:  and  for 
what  purpose?" 

"  Did  Nikola  furnish  you  with  no  rea- 
son? "  I  inquired. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  replied.  "  He  told  me 
that  if  I  would  bring  my  grandfather  to  Eng- 
land to  see  him  he  would  make  him  quite 
a  strong  man  again.  For  some  reason  or  an- 
other, however,  I  feel  certain  there  is  some- 
thing behind  it  that  is  being  kept  from  me. 
Is  this  so?  " 

"  I  am  not  in  a  position  to  give  you  any 
answer  that  would  be  at  all  likely  to  satisfy 
you,"  I  replied,  I  am  afraid  a  little  ambigu- 
ously, "  for  I  really  know  nothing  myself. 
It  is  only  fair  I  should  tell  you  that  I  met 
Dr.  Nikola  for  the  first  time  a  few  days 
ago.  ^ 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


9r 


"  But  he  sent  you  here  to  be  with  my 
grandfather,"  she  continued,  authoritatively, 
*'  Surely,  Dr.  Ingleby,  you  must  be  able  to 
throw  some  light  upon  the  mystery  which 
surrounds  this  voyage?  " 

I  shook  my  head,  and  with  a  little  sigh  of 
regret  she  ceased  to  question  me.  A  few 
minutes  later  she  gave  me  a  stately  bow,  and, 
bidding  me  good-night,  prepared  to  go  be- 
low. Knowing  that  I  had  deceived  her,  and 
hoping  to  find  some  opportunity  of  putting 
myself  right  with  her,  I  followed  her  down 
the  companion-ladder  and  along  the  saloon 
to  her  cabin. 

"  Perhaps  I  had  better  see  my  patient  be- 
fore I  retire  to  rest,"  I  said  as  we  stood  to- 
gether at  the  door,  holding  on  to  the  hand- 
rail and  balancing  ourselves  against  the  roll- 
ing of  the  ship. 

She  threw  a  quick  glance  at  me,  as  if  for 
some  reason  she  were  surprised  at  my  de- 
cision; the  expression,  however,  passed  from 
her  face  as  quickly  as  it  had  come,  and  open- 
ing the  door  she  entered  the  cabin,  and  I 
followed  her.      She  could  scarcely  have  ad- 


02 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


I'll  ,h 


1!     1. 


vanced  a  step  towards  the  bunk  before  she 
uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise  and  hor- 
ror. The  steward,  who  was  supposed  to  have 
been  watching  the  invalid,  was  fast  asleep, 
while  the  latter's  head  had  slipped  from  its 
pillow  and  was  now  lying  in  a  most  unnatural 
position,  his  chin  in  the  air,  his  eyes  open, 
but  still  fixed  upon  the  ceiling  in  the  same 
glassy  stare  I  have  described  before.  In  her 
dismay  the  girl  said  something  in  Spanish 
which  I  am  unable  to  interpret,  and  leaning 
over  the  bunk,  gazed  into  her  great-grandfa- 
ther's face  as  if  she  were  afraid  of  what  she 
might  find  there.  The  steward  meanwhile 
had  recovered  his  senses,  and  was  staring  stu- 
pidly from  one  to  the  other  of  us,  hardly  able 
to  realise  the  consequences  of  his  inattention. 
Though  all  this  has  taken  some  time  to  de- 
scribe, it  was  really  the  action  of  a  moment; 
then  signing  to  the  steward  to  stand  back, 
and  gently  pushing  the  young  girl  to  one  side, 
I  knelt  down  and  commenced  my  examina- 
tion of  my  patient.  There  could  be  no  doubt 
about  one  thing,  the  old  man's  condition  was 
eminently  serious.     If  he  lived  at  all,  there 


'■i  ■ 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


93 


was  but  little  more  than  a  flicker  of  life  left 
in  him.  How  to  preserve  that  flicker  was 
a  question  that  at  flrst  glance  appeared  im- 
possible to  answer.  It  would  have  been  bet- 
ter, and  certainly  kinder,  to  have  \rt  him  go 
in  peace.  This,  however,  I  was  in  honour 
bound  not  to  do.  He  was  Nikola's  prop- 
erty, whose  servant  I  also  was,  and  if  it  were 
possible  to  keep  him  alive  I  knew  I  must 
do  it.     ^ 

"  Oh,  Dr.  Ingleby,  surely  he  cannot  be 
dead! "  cried  the  girl  behind  me,  in  a  voice 
that  had  grown  hoarse  with  fear.  "  Tell  me 
the  worst,  I  implore  you." 

"  Hush! "  I  answered,  but  without  look- 
ing round.  "  You  must  be  brave.  He  is 
not  dead.  Nor  will  he  die  if  I  can  save 
him." 

Then  turning  to  the  steward,  who  was  still 
with  us,  I  bade  him  hasten  to  my  cabin  and 
bring  me  the  small  bag  he  would  find  hanging 
upon  the  peg  behind  the  door.  When  he  re- 
turned with  it  I  took  from  it  one  of  the  small 
bottles  it  contained,  the  contents  of  which 
I  had  been  directed  by  Nikola  to  use  only  in 


l'*\^H 


94 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


the  event  of  the  case  seemingly  absolutely 
hopeless.  The  mixture  was  tasteless,  odour- 
less, and  quite  colourless,  and  of  a  liquidity 
equal  to  water.  I  poured  the  stipulated  quan- 
tity into  a  spoon  and  forced  it  between  the 
old  man's  lips.  Somewhat  to  my  surprise — 
for  I  must  confess,  after  what  I  had  seen  of 
Nikola's  power  a  few  nights  before,  I  had 
expected  an  instantaneous  cure — the  effect 
was  scarcely  perceptible.  The  eyelids  flick- 
ered a  little,  and  then  slowly  closed;  a  few 
seconds  later  a  respiratory  movement  of  the 
thorax  was  just  observable,  accompanied  by 
a  heavy  sigh.  For  upwards  of  an  hour  I  re- 
mained in  close  attendance  upon  him,  noting 
every  symptom,  and  watching  with  amaze- 
ment the  return  of  life  into  that  aged. frame 
from  which  I  had  begun  to  think  it  had  taken 
its  departure  for  good  and  all.  Once  more 
I  measured  the  quantity  of  medicine  and  gave 
it  to  him.  This  time  the  effect  was  more 
marked.  At  the  end  of  ten  minutes  a  slight 
flush  spread  over  the  sunken  cheeks,  and  his 
breathing  could  be  plainly  distinguished. 
When,  after  a  third  dose,  he  was  sleeping 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


9$ 


peacefully  as  a  little  child,  I  turned  to  the  girl 
and  held  out  my  hand. 

"  He  will  recover,"  I  said.  "  You  need 
have  no  further  fear.     The  crisis  is  past." 

She  was  silent  for  a  few  moments,  and  I 
noticed  that  her  eyes  had  filled  with  tears. 

"  You  have  done  a  most  wonderful  thing," 
she  answered,  "  and  have  punished  me  for  my 
rudeness  to  you  on  deck.  How  can  I  ever 
thank  you?  " 

*'  By  ceasing  to  give  me  credit  to  which 
I  am  not  entitled,"  I  replied,  I  fear  a  little 
brusquely.  *'  This  medicine  comes  from  Dr. 
Nikola,  and  I  think  should  be  as  good  a  proof 
as  you  can  desire  of  the  genuineness  of  his 
offer  and  of  his  ability  to  make  your  grand- 
father a  strong  and  hearty  man  again." 

"  I  will  not  doubt  him  any  more,"  she 
said;  and  after  that,  having  made  her  prom- 
ise to  call  me  should  she  need  my  services, 
I  bade  her  good-night  and  left  the  cabin, 
meaning. to  retire  to  rest  at  once.  The  stuffi- 
ness of  my  berth,  however,  changed  my  in- 
tention. After  all  that  had  transpired,  it  can 
scarcely  be  wondered  at  that  I  was  in  a  state 


96 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


of  feverish  excitement.  In  love  with  my  pro- 
fession as  I  was,  it  will  be  readily  understood 
that  I  had  sufficient  matter  before  me  to  af- 
ford me  plenty  of  food  for  reflection.  I  ac- 
cordingly filled  my  pipe  and  made  my  way 
to  the  deck.  Once  there,  I  found  that  the 
appearance  of  the  night  had  changed;  the 
moonlight  had  given  place  to  heavy  clouds, 
and  rain  was  falling.  The  steamer  was  still 
rolling  heavily,  and  every  timber  groaned  as 
if  in  pfotest  against  the  barbarous  handling 
to  which  it  was  being  subjected.  Stowing 
myself  away  in  a  sheltered  place  near  the 
alley-way  leading  to  the  engine-room,  I  fell 
to  considering  my  position.  That  it  was  a 
curious  one,  I  do  not  think  any  one  who  has 
read  the  preceding  pages  will  doubt.  A 
more  extraordinary  one  could  scarcely  be 
imagined,  and  what  the  upshot  of  it  all  was 
to  be  was  a  thing  I  could  not  at  all  foresee. 

Having  finished  my  pipe,  I  refilled  it  and 
continued  my  meditations.  At  a  rough 
guess,  I  should  say  I  had  been  an  hour  on 
deck  when  a  circumstance  occurred  which 
was  destined  to  furnish  me  with  even  more 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


97 


food  for  reflection  than  I  already  possessed. 
I  was  in  the  act  of  knocking  the  ashes  out 
of  my  pipe  before  going  fielow,  when  I  be- 
came aware  that  something,  I  could  not  quite 
see  what,  was  making  its  way  along  the  deck 
in  my  direction  under  the  shadow  of  the  star- 
board bulwark.  At  first  I  felt  inclined  to  be- 
lieve that  it  was  only  a  trick  of  my  imagina- 
tion, but  when  I  rubbed  my  eyes  and  saw  that 
it  was  a  human  figure,  and  that  it  was  stead- 
ily approaching  me,  I  drew  back  into  the  shad- 
ow and  awaited  deve*  Dpments.  From  the 
stealthy  way  in  which  he  advanced,  and  the 
trouble  he  took  to  prevent  himself  being  seen, 
I  argued  that,  whoever  the  man  and  what- 
ever his  mission  might  be,  it  was  not  a  very 
reputable  one.  Closer  and  closer  he  came, 
was  lost  to  view  for  an  instant  behind  the 
mainmast,  and  then  reappeared  scarcely  a 
dozen  feet  from  where  I  stood.  For  a  mo- 
ment I  hardly  knew  what  course  to  adopt. 
I  had  no  desire  to  rouse  the  ship  unneces- 
sarily, and  yet,  for  the  reasons  just  stated,  I 
felt  morally  certain  that  the  man  was  there 
for  no  lawful  purpose.      However,  if  I  was 


I?; 

f 

1 

V 

!: 

;  li' 


98 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


going  to  act  at  all,  it  was  plain  I  must  do 
so  without  loss  of  time.  Fortune  favoured 
me,  for  I  had  scarcely  arrived  at  this  deci- 
sion before  the  chief  engineer,  whose  cabin 
looked  out  over  the  deck,  turned  on  his  elec- 
tric light.  A  broad  beam  of  light  shot  out 
and  showed  me  the  man  standing  beside  the 
main  hatch  steadfastly  regarding  me.  Before 
he  could  move  I  was  able  to  take  full  stock 
of  him,  and  what  I  saw  filled  me  with  amaze- 
ment. The  individual  zvas  a  Chinaman,  and 
his  head  presented  this  peculiarity,  that  half  his 
left  ear  was  missing. 

As  I  noted  the  significant  fact  to  which 
I  have  just  alluded,  the  recollection  of  Niko- 
la's letter  flashed  across  my  mind,  in  which 
he  had  warned  me  to  keep  my  eyes  open 
for  just  such  another  man.  Could  this  be 
the  individual  for  whom  I  was  to  be  on  the 
look-out?  It  seemed  extremely  unlikely  that 
there  could  be  two  Mongolians  with  the  same 
peculiar  deformity,  and  yet  I  could  scarcely 
believe,  even  if  it  were  the  same  and  he  had 
any  knowledge  of  my  connection  with  Nikola, 
that  he  would  have  the  audacity  to  travel 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


99 


in  the  same  ship  with  me.  It  must  not  be 
supposed,  however,  that  I  stayed  to  think 
these  things  out  then.  The  Hght  had  no 
sooner  flashed  out  upon  him  and  revealed 
his  sinister  personahty  than  the  switch  was 
turned  off  and  all  was  darkness  once  more. 
So  blinding  was  the  glare  while  it  did  last, 
however,  that  fully  ten  seconds  must  have 
elapsed  before  my  eyes  became  accustomed 
to  its  absence.  When  I  could  see,  the  man 
had  vanished,  and  though  I  crossed  the 
hatch  and  searched,  not  a  sign  of  him  could 
I  discover. 

"  Whoever  he  is,"  I  said  to  myself,  "  he 
has  at  least  the  faculty  of  being  able  to  get 
out  of  the  way  pretty  quickly.  I  wonder 
what — but  there,  what's  the  use  of  worry- 
ing myself  about  him?  He's  probably  a  fire- 
man who  has  been  sent  aft  on  a  message  to 
the  steward,  and  when  I  see  him  in  the  day- 
light, I  shall  find  him  like  anybody  else." 

But  while  I  tried  to  reassure  myself  in 
this  fashion  I  was  in  reality  far  from  being 
convinced.  In  my  own  mind  I  was  as  cer- 
tain that  he  was  the  man  against  whom  Nikola 


lOO 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


H  ■' 


&y 


l!  I 


/; 


' 


'i). 


I' 


1-1. 


had  warned  me  as  I  could  well  be  of  anything". 
The  chief  engineer  at  that  moment  stepped 
from  his  cabin  into  the  alleyway.  Here,  I 
thought  to  myself,  was  an  opportunity  of  set- 
tling the  matter  once  for  all.  I  accordingly 
accosted  him.  1  had  been  introduced  to  him 
earlier  in  the  day  by  ttie  captain,  so  that  he 
knew  who  I  was. 

"  That  is  not  a  very  pretty  fireman  of 
yours,"  I  began,  "  that  Chinaman  with  half 
an  ear  missing.  I  saw  him  a  moment  ago 
coming  along  the  deck  here.  Where  does  he 
hail  from?  " 

The  chief  engineer,  who,  I  may  remark, 
en  passant,  was  an  Aberdonian  and  conse- 
quently slow  of  speech,  hesitated  for  a  mo- 
ment before  he  replied. 

"  That's  mighty  queer,"  he  said  at  length. 
"  Ye're  the  second  mon  who's  seen  him  the 
night.  D'ye  tell  me  ye  saw  him  this  meenit? 
And  if  I  may  make  so  bold,  where  might  that 
have  been?  " 

"  Only  a  few  paces  from  where  we  are 
standing  now,"  I  answered.  "  I  was  smok- 
ing my  pipe  in  the  shelter  there,  when  sud- 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


lOI 


denly  I  detected  a  figure  creeping  along  in 
the  shadow  of  the  bulwarks.  Then  you  turned 
on  your  electric,  and  the  light  fell  full  and  fair 
upon  his  face.  I  saw  him  perfectly.  There 
could  be  no  doubt  about  it.  He  was  a  China- 
man, and  half  his  left  ear  was  missing." 

The  chief  engineer  sucked  at  his  pipe 
for  upwards  of  half  a  minute. 

"  Queer,  queer,"  he  said,  more  to  him- 
self than  to  me,  "  'tis  vera  queer.  Twas  my 
second  in  yonder  was  saying  he  met  him  at 
eight  bells  in  this  alleyway.  And  yet  I've 
been  officially  acquented  there's  no  such  per- 
son aboard  the  ship." 

"  But  there  must  be,"  I  cried.  "  Don't  I 
tell  you  I  saw  the  man  myself,  not  five  min- 
utes ago?  I  would  be  willing  to  go  into  a 
court  of  law  and  swear  to  the  fact." 

"  Dinna  swear,"  he  answered.  "I'll  nae 
misdoubt  yer  word." 

With  this  assurance  I  was  conducted  forth- 
with to  the  chart  room,  where  we  discovered 
the  skipper  stretched  upon  his  settee,  snoring 
voluminously. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  really 


I02 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


it 


saw  the  man?"  he  inquired,  when  my  busi- 
ness had  been  explained  to  him. 

I  assured  hin:  hat  I  did  mean  it.  I  had 
seen  him  distinctly. 

"  Well,  all  I  can  say  is  that  it*s  the  most 
extraordinary  business  I  ever  had  to  do  with," 
he  answered.  "  The  second  engineer  also 
says  he  saw  him.  Directly  he  told  me  I  had 
the  ship  searched,  but  not  a  trace  of  the  fel- 
low could  I  discover.     We'll  try  again." 

Leaving  the  chart  room  he  called  the 
bos'un  to  him,  and,  accompanied  by  the  chief 
engineer  and  myself,  commenced  an  exhaus- 
tive examination  of  the  vessel.  We  explored 
the  quarters  of  the  crew  and  firemen  forrard, 
the  galley,  stores,  and  officers'  cabins  in  both 
alleyways,  and  finally  the  saloon  aft,  but  with- 
out success.  Not  a  trace  of  the  mysterious 
Mongolian  could  we  find.  The  skipper  shook 
his  head. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think  about  it,"  he 
said. 

I  knew  that  meant  that  he  had  his  doubts 
as  to  whether  I  had  not  dreamt  the  whole 
afTair.     The  inference  was  galling,  and  when  I 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


103 


bade  him  good-night  and  went  along  to  my 
cabin,  I  wished  I  had  said  nothing  at  all  about 
the  matter.  Nevertheless,  I  was  as  firmly 
convinced  that  I  had  seen  the  man  as  I  was  at 
the  beginning.  In  this  frame  of  mind  I  pre- 
pared myself  for  bed.  Before  turning  into 
my  bunk,  however,  I  took  down  the  small 
bag  in  which  I  kept  the  drugs  Nikola  had 
given  me  and  of  which  he  had  told  me  to 
take  such  care.  I  was  anxious  to  have  them 
close  at  hand  in  case  I  should  be  sent  for  by 
Dona  Consuelo  during  the  night.  To  assure 
myself  that  they  had  not  been  broken  by  the 
rolling  of  the  ship  I  opened  the  bag  and 
looked  inside.  My  astonishment  may  be 
imagined  on  discovering  that  it  was  empty. 
The  drugs  were  gone. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


I 


hi  I 


i;)' 


Im 


\ 


'i 


The  night  on  which  I  discovered  that 
Nikola's  drugs  had  been  stolen  was  destined 
to  prove  unpleasant  in  more  senses  than  one. 
The  sweetest-tempered  of  men  could  scarcely 
have  failed  to  take  oflfence  had  they  been 
treated  as  the  captain  had  treated  me.  I  had 
told  him  in  so  man_y  words,  and  with  as  much 
emphasis  as  I  was  master  of,  that  I  had  dis- 
tinctly seen  the  Chinaman  standing  upon  the 
main  deck  of  his  steamer.  The  second  engi- 
neer had  also  entered  the  same  report;  his 
evidence,  however,  while  serving  to  corrobo- 
rate my  assertion,  was  of  little  further  use  to 
me,  inasmuch  as  I  had  still  better  proof  that 
what  I  said  was  correct — namely,  that  the 
medicines  were  missing.  Under  the  circum- 
stances it  was  small  wonder  that  I  slept  bad- 
ly.    Even  had  the  cabin  been  as  large  as  a 

hotel  bedroom,  and  the  bunk  the  latest  in- 
104 


1 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


105 


vention  in  the  way  of  comfortable  couches, 
it  is  scarcely  possible  I  should  have  had  bet- 
ter rest.  As  it  was,  the  knowledge  that  I 
had  been  outwitted  was  sufficient  to  keep  me 
tumbling  and  tossing  to  and  fro,  from  the 
moment  I  laid  my  head  upon  the  pillow  until 
the  iiun  was  streaming  in  through  my  port- 
hole next  morning.  Again  and  again  I  went 
over  the  events  of  the  previous  day,  recalling 
every  incident  with  photographic  distinct- 
ness; but  always  returning  to  the  same  point. 
How  the  man  could  have  obtained  admit- 
tance to  the  saloon  at  all  was  more  than  I 
could  understand,  and,  having  got  there,  why 
he  should  have  stolen  the  bottles  of  medicine 
when  there  were  so  many  other  articles  which 
would  have  seemed  to  be  of  infinitely  more 
value  to  him,  scattered  about,  was,  to  say 
the  least,  incomprehensible.  Hour  after  hour 
I  puzzled  over  it,  and  at  the  end  was  no  nearer 
a  solution  of  the  enigma  than  at  the  begin- 
ning. At  first  I  felt  inclined  to  believe  that 
I  must  have  taken  them  from  the  bag  myself 
and  for  security's  sake  have  placed  them  else- 
where.    A  few  moments'   search,   however. 


io6 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


j   : 


I      ! 


11 


was  sufficient  to  knock  the  bottom  out  of  that 
theory.  Hunt  high  and  low,  where  I  would, 
I  could  discover  no  traces  of  the  queer  little 
bottles.  Then  I  remembered  that  when  I  had 
sent  the  steward  for  them  to  the  Don's  cabin 
the  previous  afternoon,  I  had  taken  them 
from  the  bag  and  placed  them  upon  the  deck 
beside  the  old  man's  bunk.  Could  I  have  left 
them  there?  On  reconsidering  the  matter 
more  carefully,  however,  I  remembered  that 
before  leaving  the  cabin  I  had  replaced  them 
in  my  bag,  and  that  as  I  carried  them  back 
to  my  berth  I  had  bumped  the  satchel  against 
the  corner  of  the  saloon  table  and  was  afraid 
I  might  have  broken  them.  This  effectually 
disposed  of  that  theory  also.  At  last  the  sus- 
pense or  irritation,  by  whichever  name  you 
may  describe  it,  became  unbearable,  and,  un- 
able to  remain  in  bed  any  longer,  I  rose, 
dressed  myself,  and  prepared  to  go  on  deck. 
Entering  the  saloon,  I  found  the  steward 
busied  over  a  number  of  coffee-cups. 

"  Good  morning,  sir,"  he  said,  looking  up 
from  his  work.  *'  If  you'll  excuse  my  saying 
so,  sir,  you're  about  early.' 


>» 


!    .1 


M  .I'l 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


107 


"  I  was  late  in  bed,"  I  answered,  with  pe- 
culiar significance.     "  How  is  it,  my  friend, 
that  you  allow  people,  who  have  no  right 
there,  to  enter  the  saloon  and  to  thieve  from , 
the  passengers*  cabins?  " 

"  To  thieve,  sir! "  the  man  replied,  in  a 
startled  tone:  "  I'm  sure  I  don't  understand 
you,  sir.  I  allow  no  one  to  enter  the  saloon 
who  has  no  right  to  be  there." 

I  glanced  at  him  sharply,  wondering 
whether  the  fellow  was  as  innocent  as  he  pre- 
tended to  be. 

"  At  any  rate,"  I  said,  "  the  fact  remains 
that  some  one  entered  my  cabin  last  night, 
while  I  was  on  deck,  and  stole  the  medicines 
with  which  I  am  treating  the  old  gentleman 
in  the  cabin  yonder." 

The  man  looked  inexpressibly  shocked. 

"  God  bless  my  soul  alive,  sir — you  don't 
mean  that!  "  he  said,  with  a  falter  in  his  voice. 
"  Surely  you  don't  mean  it?  " 

"  But  I  do  mean  it,"  I  answered.  "  There 
can  be  no  sort  of  doubt  about  it.  When  I 
left  the  old  gentleman's  cabin  yesterday  I  car- 
ried the  bag  containing  the  medicines  back 


io8 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


ii 


U 

111!  -il 


( 


I 


with  me  to  my  own  berth,  locked  it,  and  hung 
it  upon  the  peg  beside  the  looking-glass  with 
my  own  hands.  After  that  I  went  on  deck, 
returned  to  my  cabin  an  hour  or  so  later, 
opened  the  bag,  and  the  bottles  were  gone." 

"  But,  sir,  have  you  any  idea  who  could 
have  taken  them?  "  the  man  replied.  "  I 
hope  you  don't  think,  sir,  as  how  I  should 
have  allowed  such  a  thing  to  take  place  in 
this  saloon  with  my  knowledge?  " 

"  I  hope  you  would  not,"  I  answered, 
"  but  that  does  not  alter  the  fact  that  the 
things  are  missing." 

"  But  don't  you  think,  sir,  the  young  lady 
herself  might  have  come  in  search  of  you, 
and  when  she  found  you  were  not  there  did 
the  next  best  thing  and  took  away  the  medi- 
cines to  use  herself?  " 

"  At  present  I  do  not  know  what  to 
think,"  I  replied,  with  some  hesitation,  for 
that  view  of  the  case  had  not  presented  itself 
to  me.  "  But  if  there  has  been  anything 
underhand  going  on,  I  think  I  can  promise 
the  culprit  that  it  will  be  made  exceedingly 
hot  for  him  when  we  reach  our  destination." 


ti 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


109 


Having  fired  this  parting  shot,  I  left  him 
to  the  contemplation  of  his  coflfee-cups  and 
made  my  way  up  the  companion-ladder  to 
the  deck  above.  It  was  a  lovely  morning,  a 
brisk  breeze  was  blowing,  and  the  steamer 
was  running  fai»*ly  steady  under  a  staysail  and 
a  foresail.  It  was  not  the  sort  of  morning 
to  feel  depressed,  and  yet  the  incidents  of 
the  previous  night  were  sufficient  to  render 
me  more  than  a  little  uncomfortable.  Nikola 
had  trusted  me,  and  in  the  matter  of  the  medi- 
cines at  least  I  had  been  found  wanting.  I 
believe  at  the  moment  I  would  have  given  all 
I  possessed — which  was  certainly  not  much, 
but  still  a  good  deal  to  me — to  have  been 
able  to  solve  the  mystery  that  surrounded  the 
disappearance  of  those  drugs.  Shortly  before 
eight  bells  the  skipper  emerged  from  the  chart 
room  and  came  along  the  hurricane  deck  to- 
wards the  poop.  Seeing  me  he  waved  his 
hand,  and,  after  he  had  ascended  the  ladder 
from  the  main  deck,  bade  me  good  morn- 
ing. 

"  Tm  afraid  our  accommodation  is  not 
very  good,"  he  said,  "  but  I  trust  you  have 

8 


no 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


m 


passed  a  fairly  comfortable  night.  No  more 
dreams  of  one-eared  Chinamen,  I  hope?  " 

From  the  tone  in  which  he  spoke  it  was 
plain  that  he  imagined  I  must  have  been 
dreaming  on  the  previous  evening.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  seriousness  of  my  position 
with  Nikola  I  could  have  laughed  aloud  when 
I  thought  of  the  shell  I  was  about  to  drop 
into  the  skipper's  camp. 

"  Dreams  or  no  dreams,  Captain  Wind- 
over,"  I  replied,  "  I  have  to  make  a  very  se- 
rious complaint  to  you.  It  will  remain  then 
for  you  to  say  whether  you  consider  that  the 
assertion  I  made  to  you  last  night  was,  or 
was  not,  founded  upon  fact.  As  I  believe 
you  are  aware,  I  was  instructed  by  my  prin- 
cipal. Dr.  Nikola,  to  join  this  vessel  in  the 
Thames  and  to  take  charge  of  Don  Miguel  de 
Moreno  until  his  arrival  in  Newcastle-on- 
Tyne.  Dr.  Nikola  was  fully  aware  of  the  diffi- 
culty and  responsibility  of  the  task  he  had 
assigned  to  me,  and  for  this  reason  he  fur- 
nished me  with  a  number  of  very  rare  drugs 
which  I  was  to  administer  to  the  patient  as 
occasion  demanded.     In  the  letter  of  instruc- 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT, 


III 


tions  which  I  received  prior  to  embarking, 
I  was  particularly  warned  to  beware  of  a  cer- 
tain Chinaman  whose  peculiar  characteristic 
was  that  he  had  lost  half  an  ear.  In  due 
course  I  joined  your  vessel,  and  attended  the 
Don,  used  the  drugs  to  which  I  have  referred, 
and  afterwards  returned  them  to  my  cabin. 
A  quarter  of  an  hour  or  so  later  I  made  my 
way  to  the  deck,  where  I  found  myself  sud- 
denly brought  face  to  face  with  the  Asiatic 
of  whom  I  had  been  warned.  On  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  chief  engineer  I  reported 
the  matter  to  you;  you  searched  the  ship, 
found  no  one  at  all  like  the  man  I  described, 
and  from  that  time  forward  set  down  the  story 
I  had  told  you  either  as  a  fabrication  on  my 
part,  or  the  creation  of  a  dream." 

"  Pardon  me,  my  dear  sir,  not  a  fabrica- 
tion," the  skipper  began;  "  only  a " 

"  Pardon  me  in  your  turn,"  I  replied;  "  I 
have  not  quite  finished.  As  I  have  inferred, 
you  treat  the  matter  with  contempt.  What 
is  the  result?  I  return  to  my  cabin,  and,  be- 
fore retiring  to  rest,  in  order  to  make  sure 
that  they  are  ready  at  hand  in  case  I  should 


112 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


i'i 


require  them  during  the  night,  open  the  hapf 
in  which  the  medicines  until  that  moment 
had  been  stored.  To  my  consternation  they 
are  not  there.  Some  one  had  entered  my 
cabin  during  my  absence  and  stolen  them.  I 
leave  you  to  put  what  construction  on  it 
you  please,  and  to  say  who  that  some  one 


was. 


»i 


The  captain's  face  was  u  study.  "  But — 
but "  he  began. 

*'  Buts  will  not  mend  the  matter,"  I  an- 
swered, I  am  afraid  rather  sharply.'  *'  There 
can  be  no  getting  away  from  the  fact  that 
they  are  gone,  and  that  some  one  must  have 
taken  them.  They  could  scarcely  walk  away 
by  themselves." 

"  But  supposing  your  suspicions  to  be  cor- 
rect, what  possible  use  could  a  few  small  bot- 
tles of  unknown  medicine  be  to  a  man  like 
that — a  Chinaman?  Had  he  taken  your  watch 
and  chain,  or  your  money,  I  could  under- 
stand it;  but  from  what  you  say,  I  gather  that 
nothing  else  is  missing." 

"  Nothing  else,"  I  replied,  in  the  tone  of 
a  man  who  is  making  an  admission  that  is 


;l! 


i    i 


DR.  NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


iI3 


scarcely  likely  to  add  to  the  weight  of  the  ar- 
gument he  is  endeavouring  to  adduce. 

"  Besides,"  continued  the  skipper,  "  there 
are  half  a  hundred  other  ways  in  which  the 
things  might  have  been  lost  or  mislaid.  Last 
night  the  ship  was  rolling  heavily:  why  might 
not  they  have  tumbled  out  and  have  slipped 
under  your  bunk  or  behind  your  bags?  I 
have  known  things  like  that  occur." 

"  And  would  the  ship  have  closed  the  bag 
again,  may  I  ask? "  I  answered,  scornfully. 
"  No,  no!  captain,  I  am  afraid  that  won't  do. 
The  man  I  reported  to  you  last  night,  the 
one-eared  Chinaman,  is  aboard  your  ship,  and 
for  some  reason  best  known  to  himself  he  has 
stolen  some  of  my  property,  thereby  not  only 
inconveniencing  me  but  placing  in  absolute 
danger  the  life  of  the  old  man  whom  I  was 
sent  on  board  to  take  care  of.  As  the  thief 
is  scarcely  likely  to  have  jumped  overboard, 
he  must  be  on  board  now;  and  as  he  would 
not  be  likely  to  have  stolen  the  bottles  only 
to  smash  them,  it  stands  to  reason  that  he 
must  have  them  in  his  keeping  at  the  present 
moment." 


,mJ   ' 


#  »4, 


« 


,  I 


I! 


fl!i 


lif  f 


\i   11 ' 


Hi 


!     !    'i; 
:    !  "11 


1    I 


(»^ 


iif'^' 


-41 


i 


J^ 


,1 


114 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


"  And  suppose  he  has,  what  do  you  want 
me  to  do?  " 

"  I  want  you  to  find  him  for  me,"  I  an- 
swered, "  or,  if  you  don't  care  to  take  the 
trouble,  to  put  sufficient  men  at  my  disposal 
and  allow  me  to  do  so." 

On  hearing  this  the  captain  became  very 
red  and  shifted  uneasily  on  his  feet. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  he  said,  a  Uttle  testily, 
"  much  as  I  would  like  to  put  myself  out  to 
serve  you,  I  must  confess  that  what  you  ask 
seems  to  me  a  little  unreasonable.  Don't  I 
tell  you  I  have  already  searched  the  ship  twice 
in  an  eflfort  to  find  this  man,  and  each  time 
without  success?  Upon  my  word,  I  don't 
think  it  is  fair  to  ask  me  to  do  so  again." 

"  In  that  case  I  am  very  much  afraid  I 
have  no  alternative  but  to  make  a  complaint 
to  you  in  writing  and  to  hold  you  respon- 
sible, should  Don  Miguel  de  Moreno  lose  his 
life  through  the  robbery  which  has  been  com- 
mitted, and  which  you  will  not  help  me  to  set 
right." 

What  the  captain  would  have  answered 
in  reply  to  this  I  cannot  say;  it  is  quite  cer- 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


115 


tain,  however,  that  it  would  have  been  some- 
thing sharp  had  not  the  Dona  Consuelo  made 
her  appearance  from  the  companion-hatch 
that  moment.  She  struck  me  as  looking  very 
pale,  as  if  she  had  passed  a  bad  night.  The 
skipper  and  I  w^ent  forward  together  to  meet 
her. 

"  Good-morring,"  I  said,  as  I  took  the 
little  hand  she  held  out  to  me.  "  I  hope  your 
great-grandfather  is  better  this  morning?  " 

"  He  has  passed  a  fairly  good  night,  and 
is  sleeping  quietly  at  present,"  she  answered. 
*'  The  steward  is  sitting  with  him  now  while 
I  come  up  for  a  few  moments  to  get  a  little 
fresh  air  on  deck." 

The  skipper  made  some  remark  about  the 
beauty  of  the  morning,  and  while  he  was 
speaking  I  watched  the  girl's  face.  There 
was  an  expression  upon  it  I  did  not  quite 
understand. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  have  not  passed  a  very 
good  night,"  I  said,  after  the  other  had  fin- 
ished. "  Yesterday's  anxiety  must  have  up- 
set you  more  than  you  allowed  me  to  sup- 
pose." 


t; 


Ii6 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


I'  l-V 


-  u: 


iii 


I  ; 


>  I 


"  I  will  confess  that  it  did  upset  me,"  she 
answered,  with  her  pretty  foreign  accent  and 
the  expressive  gesticulation  which  was  so  be- 
coming to  her.  **  I  have  had  a  wretched 
night.  I  had  such  a  terrible  dream  that  I 
have  scarcely  recovered  from  it  yet." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that,"  the  skipper 
and  I  answered  almost  together,  while  I  add- 
ed, "  Pray  tell  us  about  it." 

"  It  does  not  seem  very  much  to  tell,"  she 
answered,  "  and  yet  the  effect  it  produced 
upon  me  is  just  as  vivid  now  as  it  was  then. 
After  you  left  the  cabin  last  night,  Dr.  Ingle- 
by,  I  sat  for  a  little  while  by  my  grandfather's 
side,  trying  to  read;  but  finding  that  impos- 
sible, I  retired  to  rest,  lying  upon  the  bed  the 
steward  is  kind  enough  to  make  up  for  me 
upon  the  floor.  I  was  utterly  worn  out,  and 
almost  as  soon  as  I  closed  my  eyes  I  fell  asleep. 
How  long  I  had  been  sleeping  I  cannot  say, 
but  suddenly  I  felt  there  was  some  one  in  the 
room  who  was  watching  me:  who  it  was  I 
could  not  tell,  but  that  it  was  some  one,  or 
something,  utterly  repulsive  to  me  I  felt  cer- 
tain.   In  vain  I  endeavoured  to  open  my  eyes. 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


"7 


but,  as  in  most  nightmares,  I  found  it  impos- 
sible to  do  so;  and  all  the  time  I  could  feel  this 
loathsome  thing,  whatever  it  was,  drawing 
closer  and  closer  to  me.  Then,  putting  forth 
a  great  effort,  I  managed  to  wake,  or  perhaps 
to  dream  that  I  did  so.  I  had  much  better 
have  kept  my  eyes  closed,  for  leaning  over  me 
was  the  most  horrible  face  I  have  ever  seen  or 
imagined.  It  was  flatter  than  that  of  a  Euro- 
pean, with  small,  narrow  eyes,  and  such  cruel 
eyes. 

"  Good  Heavens!  "  I  cried,  unable  to  keep 
silence  any  longer,  **  can  it  be  possible  that 
you  saw  him  too?  " 

Meanwhile  the  skipper,  who  had  been 
leaning  against  the  bulwarks,  his  hands  thrust 
deep  in  his  pockets  and  his  cap  upon  the  back 
of  his  head,  suddenly  sprang  to  attention." 

"  Can  you  remember  anything  else  about 
the  man?  "  he  inquired. 

The  girl  considered  for  a  moment. 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  can,"  she  answered. 
"  I  can  only  repeat  what  I  said  before,  that 
it  was  the  most  awful  face  I  have  ever  seen  in 
my  life. — Stay,  there  is  one  other  thing  that 


w0m  m  jkm.».  I  '.>■■*  <»»jlh»«W*i.  ■*»  »  'f^^■  *"'-*il  ^tc»-^<»"  -. .  -^■■-.•j 


Ii8 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'    'i 


■i:; 


!l 


I  i  1,1 


1  remember.  I  noticed  that  half  his  left  ear 
was  missing." 

"It  is  the  Chinaman!"  I  cried,  with  an 
air  of  triumph  that  I  could  no  longer  suppress. 
And  as  I  said  it  I  took  from  my  pocket  the 
letter  of  instruction  Nikola  had  sent  me  the 
week  before,  and  read  aloud  the  passage  in 
which  he  referred  to  the  one-eared  Chinaman 
of  whom  I  was  to  beware.  The  effect  was 
exactly  what  I  imagined  it  would  be. 

**  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  I  was  not 
dreaming  after  all?  "  the  Dofia  inquired,  with 
a  frightened  expression  on  her  face. 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  do  mean,"  I  an- 
swered. "  And  I  am  glad  to  have  your  evi- 
dence that  you  saw  the  man,  for  the  reason 
that  it  bears  out  what  I  have  been  saying  to 
our  friend  the  captain  here." 

Then  turning  to  that  individual,  I  con- 
tinued: "  I  hope,  sir,  you  will  now  see  the  ad- 
visability of  instituting  another  search  for 
this  man.  If  I  were  in  your  place  I  would 
turn  the  ship  inside  out,  from  truck  to  keel- 
son. It  seems  to  me  outrageous  that  a  ras- 
cal like  this  can  hide  himself  on  board,  and 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


119 


you,  the  captain,  be  ignorant  of  his  where- 
abouts." 

**  There  is  no  necessity  to  instruct  me  in 
my  duty,"  he  answered  stiffly,  and  then  going 
to  the  companion  called  down  it  for  the 
steward,  who  presently  made  his  appearance 
on  deck. 

"  Williams,"  said  the  skipper,  **  Dr.  Ingle- 
by  informs  me  that  a  theft  was  committed  in 
his  cabin  last  night.  He  declares  that  a  man 
made  his  way  into  the  saloon,  visiting  not 
only  his  berth,  but  that  of  Don  Miguel  de 
Moreno.     How  do  you  account  for  this?  " 

"  Dr.  Ingleby  did  say  something  to  me 
about  it  this  morning,  sir,"  the  steward  re- 
plied; "but  to  tell  you  the  plain  truth,  sir, 
I  don't  exactly  know  what  to  think  of  it. 
It's  the  first  time  I've  ever  known  such  a 
thing  happen.  Of  course  I  shouldn't  like  to 
say  as  how  Dr.  Ingleby  was  mistaken," 

"  You  had  better  not,"  I  replied,  so  sharp- 
ly that  the  man  jumped  with  surprise. 

"  Anyway,  sir,"  the  steward  continued,  "  I 
feel  certain  that  if  the  man  had  come  aft  I 
should  have  heard  him.     I  am  a  light  sleeper, 


m    n   \ 


.-^  .^^  y  ■ 


kHi 


);i 


!'V      i 


'■,' 


!l 


120 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


as  the  saying  is,  and  I  believe  that  a  cat  com- 
ing down  the  companion-ladder  would  be 
enough  to  waken  me,  much  less  a  man." 

**  On  this  occasion  you  must  have  slept 
sounder  than  usual,"  I  said.  **  At  any  rate 
the  fact  remains  that  the  man  did  come;  and 
I  have  to  ask  you  once  more,  captain,  what 
do  you  intend  to  do  to  find  my  stolen  prop- 
erty?" 

"  I  must  take  time  to  consider  the  mat- 
ter," the  captain  replied.  "  If  the  man  is 
aboard  the  ship,  as  you  assert,  I  will  find  him, 
and  if  I  do  find  him  he  had  better  look  out  for 
squalls — that's  all  I  can  say." 

"  And  at  the  same  time,"  I  added,  "  I  hope 
you  will  severely  punish  any  member  of  your 
crew  who  may  have  been  instrumental  in  se- 
creting him  on  board." 

As  I  said  this  I  glanced  at  the  steward, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  his  always  sallow  face 
became  even  paler  than  usual. 

'*  You  need  not  bother  yourself  about 
that,"  said  the  skipper:  "  you  may  be  sure  I 
shall  do  so." 

Then  lifting  his  cap  to  the  Dofia  Con- 


»-»-rf.4    •.      '        ■    ■<■      * 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


121 


suelo,  he  went  forward  along  the  deck;  while 
the  steward,  having  informed  us  that  break- 
fast was  upon  the  table,  returned  to  the  com- 
panion-ladder and  disappeared  below. 

"  What  does  all  this  mystery  mean  Dr. 
Ingleby? "  inquired  my  companion,  as  we 
turned  and  walked  aft  together. 

"  It  means  that  there  is  more  at  the  back 
of  it  than  meets  the  eye,"  I  replied.  "  Be- 
fore I  left  London  I  was  warned  by  Dr.  Ni- 
kola, as  you  heard  me  say  just  now,  to  beware 
of  a  certain  Asiatic  with  only  half  an  ear. 
What  Nikola  feared  he  would  do  I  have  no 
notion,  but  there  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that 
this  is  the  man." 

"  But  he  has  done  us  no  harm,"  she  re- 
plied, "  beyond  frightening  me;  so  if  the  cap- 
tain takes  care  that  he  does  not  come  as  far 
as  the  saloon  again,  it  does  not  seem  to  me 
we  need  think  any  more  about  him." 

"  But  he  has  done  us  harm,"  I  asserted — 
"  grievous  harm.  He  has  stolen  the  medi- 
cine with  which  I  treated  your  great-grand- 
father so  successfully  yesterday." 

On  hearing  this  she  gave  a  little  start. 


122 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


n 


l> ' 


,f  :   ^1 


Do  you  mean  that  if  he  should  become 
ill  again  in  the  same  way  that  he  did  yester- 
day, you  would  be  unable  to  save  him?  "  she 
inquired,  almost  breathlessly. 

"  I  cannot  say  anything  about  that,"  I  an- 
swered. "  I  should  of  course  do  my  best,  but 
I  must  confess  the  loss  of  those  drugs  is  a  very 
serious  matter  for  me.  They  are  exceedingly 
valuable,  and  were  specially  entrusted  to  my 
care." 

"And  you  think  that  Dr.  Nikola  will, 
be  angry  with  you  for  having  lost  them?  "  she 
said. 

"  I  am  very  much  afraid  he  will,"  I  an- 
swered. "  But  if  he  is,  I  must  put  up  with  it. 
Now  let  us  come  below  to  breakfast."  With 
that  I  led  her  along  the  deck  and  down  the 
companion-ladder  to  the  saloon. 

"  Before  we  sit  down  to  our  meal  I  think 
it  would  perhaps  be  as  well  if  I  saw  your 
great-grandfather,"  I  said.  "  I  should  like 
to  convince  myself  that  he  is  none  the  worse 
for  his  attack  yesterday." 

Upon  this  we  entered  the  cabin  together, 
and  I  bent  over  the  recumbent  figure  of  the 


i'l 


«. 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


123 


old  man.  He  lay  just  as  he  had  done  on  the 
previous  day;  his  long  thin  hands  were 
clasped  upon  his  breast,  and  his  eyes  looked 
upward  just  as  I  remembered  seeing  them. 
For  all  the  difference  that  was  to  be  seen,  he 
might  never  have  moved  since  I  had  left  him 
so  many  hours  before. 

"  He  is  awake,"  whispered  his  great- 
granddaughter,  who  had  looked  at  him  over 
my  shoulder.  Then,  raising  her  voice  a  little, 
she  continued,  still  in  English,  "  This  is  Dr. 
Ingleby,  grandfather,  whom  your  friend  Dr. 
Nikola  has  sent  to  take  care  of  you." 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,  for  your  kindness,"  re- 
plied the  old  man,  in  a  voice  that  was  little 
louder  than  a  whisper.  "  You  must  forgive 
me  if  my  reception  of  you  appears  somewhat 
discourteous,  but  I  am  very  feeble.  A  month 
ago  I  celebrated  my  ninety-eighth  birthday, 
and  at  such  an  age,  I  venture  to  assert,  much 
may  be  forgiven  a  man." 

"  Pray  do  not  apologise,"  I  replied.  "  I 
am  indeed  glad  to  find  you  looking  so  much 
better  this  morning." 

"  If  to  be  still  alive  is  to  be  better,  then  I 


n 


124 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


i^i' 


I 


suppose  I  must  be,"  he  answered,  in  a  tone 
that  was  almost  one  of  regret;  and  then  con- 
tinued, "  The  days  of  our  age  are  three-score 
years  and  ten;  and  though  men  be  so  strong 
that  they  come  to  fourscore  years,  yet  is  their 
strength  but  labour  and  sorrow;  labour  and 
sorrow — aye,  labour  and  sorrow." 

*'  Come,  come,  sir,"  I  said,  **  you  must  not 
talk  like  this.  You  are  not  very  comfortable 
here,  but  we  are  nearly  at  our  journey's  end. 
Once  there,  you  will  be  able  to  rest  more 
quietly  and  in  greater  comfort  than  it  is  pos- 
sible for  you  to  do  in  this  tiny  cabin." 

"  You  speak  well,"  he  answered,  "  when 
you  say  that  I  am  nearly  at  my  journey's  end. 
God  knows  I  am  near  it — very,  very  near  it. 
The  wonder  is  I  have  not  reached  it  long 
since.  But  it  will  come  at  last,  and  when  it 
comes  I  shall  rest,  as  you  say,  more  quietly 
than  in  this  tiny  cabin.'* 

Seeing  that  in  his  present  humour  there 
was  not  much  to  be  done  with  him,  I  com- 
pleted my  examination,  gave  certain  instruc- 
tions to  his  great-granddaughter,  and  then 
left  the  cabin,  feeling  very  much  as  if  I  had 


im 


m^^t^mn'h'%»^^iwnivvm 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


125 


stepped  into  the  nineteenth  out  of  another 
and  quite  different  century.  Breakfast  was 
laid  in  the  saloon;  and  as  the  steward  in- 
formed me  that  the  skipper  invariably  had  his 
sent  forward  to  the  chart  room,  while  the 
Doiia  Consuelo  usually  partook  of  hers  by 
the  old  gentleman's  bedside,  I  sat  down  to  it 
alone.  The  steward  .waited  upon  me,  a  trifle 
nervously  I  thought,  and  with  an  obsequious- 
ness that  told  me  he  was  anxious  to  make  up 
to  me  for  the  robbery  of  the  night  before. 
Whatever  he  might  think,  however,  I  had  not 
the  smallest  intention  of  allowing  myself  to 
be  drawn  into  a  discussion  with  him  on  the 
subject.  The  matter  would  have  to  be  set- 
tled some  way  or  another  when  we  reached 
our  destination,  and  then,  in  all  probability, 
Nikola  would  look  after  it  for  himself. 

Whatever  else  may  be  said  of  the  good 
ship  Dona  Mercedes,  her  warmest  admirers 
could  scarcely  assert  that  she  possessed  a 
wonderful  turn  of  speed.  Even  with  every- 
thing in  her  favour  it  was  as  much  as  the  chief 
engineer  could  do  to  knock  nine  knots  out  of 

her,  but  on  the  present  occasion  seven  was 
9 


126 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'1 


1  ■'. ! 


somewhere  nearer  her  mark.  For  this  rea- 
son, instead  of  reaching  our  destination  at 
midday,  as  I  had  hoped  we  should  do,  night 
had  closed  in  on  us  before  we  had  crossed  the 
bar  and  could  count  ourselves  safely  in  the 
river,  while  five  bells  in  the  first  watch  had 
been  sounded  before  we  lay  at  anchor  in  the 
Tyneside. 

As  soon  as  I  heard  the  cable  rattling  out 
through  the  hawse  hole  I  made  my  way  to  the 
deck.  The  night  was  a  dark  one,  but  a  more 
interesting  picture  than  I  had  before  me  then 
could  scarcely  be  imagined.  Around  me  on 
every  side  were  ships:  colliers,  tramps,  pas- 
senger-vessels and  merchantmen  of  every 
possible  sort  and  description.  The  lights  of 
the  city  could  b*  plainly  distinguished,  and 
innumerable  tongues  of  fire  containing  all  the 
colours  of  the  rainbow  flashed  up  continu- 
ally from  factory  chimneys.  A  couple  of 
steam-launches  were  lying  alongside,  with  at 
least  a  dozen  small  boats;  and  thinking  Ni- 
kola might  be  in  one  of  them,  I  went  forward 
to  the  gangway  in  search  of  him,  but  though 
I  scanned  the  faces  below  me,  his  was  not 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


127 


among  them.  For  the  reason  that  we  were 
so  late  getting  into  the  river,  and  knowing 
that  the  vessel  would  be  likely  to  remain  for 
some  time  to  come,  I  argued  that  in  all  proba- 
bility he  had  put  off  boarding  her  until  the 
morning.  I  accordingly  turned  away,  and 
was  about  to  walk  aft  when  a  hand  was  placed 
on  my  shoulder. 

**  Well,  friend  Ingleby,"  said  a  voice  that 
there  was  no  mistaking,  and  which  I  should 
have  known  anywhere,  **  what  sort  of  a  voy- 
age have  you  had,  and  how  is  your  patient 
progressing?  " 

**  Dr.  Nikola!"  I  cried  in  astonishment, 
as  I  turned  and  found  him  standing  before  me. 
"  I  was  just  looking  for  you  in  the  boats 
alongside.    I  had  no  idea  you  were  on  board." 

"  I  came  up  by  the  other  gangway,"  Ni- 
kola replied.  "  But  you  have  not  answered 
my  question.     How  is  your  patient?  " 

"  He  is  still  alive,"  I  answered,  "  and  I 
fancy,  if  possible,  a  little  better  than  when  we 
left  London.  But  he  is  so  feeble  that  to 
speak  of  his  being  well  seems  almost  a  sar- 
casm.     Yesterday    for    a    few    moments    I 


r-t> »    '■( : ; 


128 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


i     : 


''1      I 


1  H 


li 


P- 


thought  he  was  gone,  but  with  the  help  of  the 
drugs  you  gave  me  I  managed  to  bring  him 
round  again.  This  morning  he  was  strong 
enough  to  converse  with  me." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  hear  it,"  he  replied. 
"  You  have  done  admirably,  and  I  congratu- 
late you.  Now  we  must  think  about  their 
trans-shipment." 

"Trans-shipment?"  I  replied.  "Is  it 
possible   they  have  to  make  another  jour- 


ney i 


>» 


"  It  is  more  than  possible — it  is  quite  cer- 
tain," he  answered.  "  Allerdeyne  Castle  is  a 
matter  of  some  fifty  miles  up  the  coast,  and  a 
steam  yacht  will  take  us  there.  A  bed  has 
been  prepared  for  the  old  gentleman  in  the 
saloon,  and  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  get  him  off 
this  boat  and  on  board  her.  You  had  better 
let  me  have  those  drugs  and  I'll  mix  him  up 
a  slight  stimulus.    He'll  need  it."    ■ 

This  was  the  question  I  had  been  dreading 
all  along,  but  the  die  was  cast  and  willy  nilly 
the  position  had  to  be  faced. 

"  I  should  like  to  speak  to  you  upon  that 
matter,"  I  said.    "  I  very  much  fear  that  you 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


129 


Ml 


will  consider  me  to  blame  for  not  having  ex- 
ercised greater  care  over  them,  but  I  had  no 
idea  they  would  be  of  any  value  to  any  one 
who  did  not  know  the  use  of  them." 

"  Pray  what  do  you  mean?  "  he  asked, 
with  a  look  of  astonishment  that  I  believe  was 
more  than  half  assumed.  '*  To  what  are  you 
alluding?  Have  you  had  an  accident  with 
the  drugs?  " 

While  we  had  been  talking  we  had  walked 
along  the  main  deck,  and  were  approaching 
the  entrance  leading  therefrom  to  the  cubby, 
the  light  from  which  fell  upon  his  face. 
There  was  a  look  upon  it  that  I  did  not  like. 
When  he  was  in  an  affable  mood  Nikola's 
countenance  was  singularly  prepossessing; 
when,  however,  he  was  put  out  by  anything 
it  was  the  face  of  a  devil  rather  than  a  man. 

"  I  exceedingly  regret  having  to  inform 
you  that  last  night  the  drugs  in  question  were 
stolen  from  my  cabin." 

In  a  moment  he  was  all  excitement. 

"  By  the  man  of  whom  I  bade  you  beware, 
of  course — the  one-eared  Chiriaman?  " 

"  The  same,"  I  answered;  and  went  on  to 


If' 


■    ' 


130 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


M; 


y  1 1 


'(: 


inform  him  of  all  that  had  transpired  since  my 
arrival  on  board,  including  my  trouble  with 
the  captain  and  the  suspicions  I  entertained, 
without  much  foundation  I'm  afraid,  against 
the  steward.  He  heard  me  out  without  speak- 
ing, and  when  I  had  finished  bade  me  wait  on 
deck  while  he  went  below  to  the  Morenos' 
cabin.  While  he  was  gone  I  strolled  to  the 
side,  and  once  more  stood  watching  the  lights 
reflected  in  the  water  below.  On  an  old 
tramp  steamer  a  short  distance  astern  of  us 
a  man  was  singing.  It  was  one  of  Chevalier's 
coster  songs,  and  I  could  recognise  the  words 
quite  distinctly.  The  last  time  I  had  heard 
that  song  was  in  Cape  Coast  Castle,  just  after 
I  had  recovered  from  my  attack  of  fever;  and 
I  was  still  pursuing  the  train  of  thought  it 
conjured  up,  when  I  noticed  a  boat  drawing 
into  the  circle  of  light  to  which  I  have  just 
alluded.  It  contained  two  men,  one  of  whom 
was  standing  up  while  the  other  rowed.  A 
second  or  two  later  they  had  come  close 
enough  for  me  to  see  the  face  of  the  man  in 
the  bows.  To  my  amazement  he  was  a  China- 
man!    So  overwhelming  was  my  astonish- 


il   t 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


131 


ment  that  I  uttered  an  involuntary  cry,  and, 
running  to  the  skylight,  called  to  Nikola  to 
come  on  deck.  Then,  bounding  to  the  bul- 
warks again,  I  looked  for  the  boat.  But  I 
was  too  late.  Either  they  had  achieved  their 
object,  or  my  prompt  action  had  given  them 
a  fright.     At  any  rate,  they  were  gone. 

"  What  do  you  want?  "  cried  Nikola,  who 
by  this  time  had  reached  the  deck. 

"The  Chinamen!"  I  cried.  "I  saw  one 
of  them  a  moment  ago  in  a  boat  alongside." 

"  Where  are  they  now?  "  he  inquired. 

"  I  cannot  see  them.  They  have  disap- 
peared into  the  darkness  again;  but  when  I 
called  to  you  they  were  scarcely  twenty  yards 
away.  What  does  their  presence  here  signify, 
do  you  think?  " 

"  It  signifies  that  they  know  that  I  am  on 
board,"  answered  Nikola,  with  a  queer  sort 
of  smile  upon  his  face.  "  It  means  also  that, 
although  this  is  the  nineteenth  century  and 
the  law-abiding  land  of  England,  if  we  were  to 
venture  a  little  out  of  the  be'\ten  track  ashore 
to-night,  you  and  I  would  stand  a  very  fair 
chance  of  having  our  throats  cut  before  morn- 


132 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


i:  St 


ing.  It  has  one  other  meaning,  and  that  is 
that  you  and  I  must  play  the  old  game  of  the 
partridge  and  its  nest,  and  lure  them  away 
from  this  boat  while  the  skipper  transfers  Don 
Miguel  and  his  great-granddaughter  to  the 
yacht  I  have  in  waiting  down  the  river." 

"  That  is  all  very  well,"  I  interrupted, 
"  but  I  am  not  at  all  sure  the  skipper  would 
be  willing.  To  put  it  bluntly,  he  and  I  have 
already  had  a  few  words  together  over  this 
matter."  \ 

"  That  will  make  no  difference,"  Nikola 
answered.  "  I  assure  you  you  need  have  no 
fear  that  he  will  play  us  false:  he  knows  me 
far  too  well  to  attempt  that.  I  will  confer 
with  him  at  once,  and  while  I  am  doing  so  you 
had  better  get  your  traps  together.  We  will 
then  go  ashore  and  do  our  best  to  draw  these 
rascals  oflF  the  scent." 

So  saying,  Nikola  made  his  way  forward 
towards  the  chart  room,  while  I  went  through 
the  cuddy  to  my  own  berth.  The  steward 
carried  my  bags  out  on  to  the  main  deck,  and, 
after  I  had  spoken  a  word  or  two  with  Doiia 
Consuelo,  I  followed  him.     Five  minutes  later 


i   \ 


U  f 


m 


ili.i 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


>33 


Nikola  joined  me,  accompanied  by  the  cap- 
tain. I  had  bidden  the  latter  good-bye  ear- 
lier in  the  evening,  and  Nikola  was  giving  him 
one  last  word  of  advice,  when  I  happened  to 
glance  toward  the  alleyway  on  the  port  side, 
Imagine  my  surprise — nay,  I  might  almost 
say  my  consternation — on  beholding,  stand- 
ing in  the  dark  by  the  corner  of  the  main 
hatch,  the  same  mysterious  Chinaman  who  I 
felt  certain  had  committed  the  robbery  of  the 
drugs  the  previous  night. 

"  Look,  look,"  I  cried  to  my  companions; 
"  see,  there  is  the  man  again!  " 

They  wheeled  round  and  looked  in  the  di- 
rection to  which  I  pointed.  At  the  same 
moment  the  man's  right  arm  went  up,  and 
from  where  I  stood  I  could  see  something 
glittering  in  the  palm.  An  inspiration,  how 
or  by  what  occasioned  I  shall  never  be  able  to 
understand,  induced  me  to  sieze  Nikola  by 
the  arm  and  to  swing  him  behind  me.  It  was 
well  that  I  did  so,  for  almost  before  we  could 
realise  what  was  happening  a  knife  was 
thrown,  and  stood  imbedded  a  good  three 
inches  in  the  bulwark,  exactly  behind  where 


134 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


Nikola  had  been  standing  an  ii:stant  before. 
Then,  springing  on  to  the  ladder  which  leads 
from  the  main  to  the  hurricane  deck,  he  raced 
up  it,  jumped  on  to  the  rail,  and  dived  head- 
long into  the  water  alongside.  By  the  time 
we  reached  the  deck  whence  he  had  taken  his 
departure,  all  we  could  see  was  a  boat  pulling 
swiftly  in  the  direction  of  the  shore. 

"  That  settles  it,  friend  Ingleby,"  said  Ni- 
kola. "  We  have  no  alternative  now  but  to 
make  our  way  ashore  and  do  as  I  proposed  ^ 
If  you  are  ready,  come  along.  I  think  I  can 
safely  promise  you  an  adventure." 


'■-1 


CHAPTER   V. 


When,  nowadays,  I  look  back  upon  the 
period  I  spent  in  Nikola's  company,  one  sig- 
nificant fact  always  strikes  me,  and  that  is 
the  enormous  number  of  risks  we  managed  to 
cram  into  such  a  comparatively  short  space  of 
time.  During  my  somewhat  checquered  ca- 
reer I  have  perhaps  seen  as  much  of  what  is 
vaguely  termed  life  as  most  men ;  I  have  lived 
in  countries  the  very  reverse  of  civilised;  I 
have  served  t  oard  ships  where  there  has  been 
a  good  deal  more  sandbagging  and  hazing 
than  would  be  considered  good  for  the  aver- 
age man's  Christian  temperament;  and  as  for 
actual  fighting,  well,  I  have  seen  enough  of 
that  to  have  learnt  one  lesson — one  which  will 
probabh"^  cause  a  smile  to  rise  on  the  face  of 
the  inexperienced — and  that  is  to  keep  out  of 
it  as  far  as  possible,  and  on  all  occasions  to  be 

afraid  of  firearms. 

135 


136 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


«!■ 


i 


1-; 


I  concluded  my  last  chapter  with  an  ac- 
count of  our  arrival  in  Newcastle,  and  ex- 
plained how  we  were  preparing  to  go  ashore, 
when  the  one-eared  Chinaman,  who  I  felt  con- 
vinced had  committed  the  robbery  of  the  pre- 
vious night,  made  his  appearance  before  us 
and  came  within  an  ace  of  taking  Nikola's  life. 
Had  it  not  been  for  my  presence  of  mind,  or 
instinct,  by  whichever  term  you  please  j:o 
call  it,  I  verily  believe  it  would  have  been  the 
end  of  all  things  for  the  Doctor.  As  it  was 
however,  the  knife  missed  its  mark,  and  a  mo- 
ment later  the  man  had  sprung  up  the  ladder 
to  the  hurricane  deck  and  leaped  the  rail  and 
plunged  into  the  river.  Being  desirous  of 
preventing  the  Chinaman  from  following  us 
and  by  that  means  becoming  aware  that  we 
were  leaving  for  the  north  in  Nikola's  yacht, 
we  determined  to  make  our  way  ashore  and 
permit  them  to  suppose  that  we  were  remain- 
ing in  Newcastle  for  some  length  of  time, 
Accordingly  we  descended  into  the  wherry 
alongside,  and  ordered  the  boatman  to  pull 
us  to  the  nearest  landing-stage. 

"  Keep   your   eyes   open   and   your  wits 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


>37 


about  you,"  whispered  Nikola,  when  we  had 
left  the  boat  and  were  making  our  way  up  to 
the  street.  "  They  are  certain  to  be  on  the 
lookout  for  us." 

As  you  may  be  sure,  I  did  not  neglect  his 
warning.  I  had  had  one  exhibition  of  that 
diabolical  Celestial's  skill  in  knife  throwing, 
and  when  I  reflected  that  in  a  big  town  like 
Newcastle  there  were  many  dark  corners  and 
alleyways,  and  also  that  a  knife  makes  but 
little  or  no  noise  when  thrown,  I  was  more  de- 
termined lan  ever  to  neglect  no  opportunity 
of  looking  after  my  own  safety.  When  we 
reached  the  street  at  the  rear  of  the  docks  Ni- 
kola cast  about  him  for  a  cab,  but  for  some 
minutes  not  one  was  to  be  seen.  At  last  a 
small  boy  obtained  one  for  us,  and  when  the 
luggage  had  been  placed  on  the  roof  we  took 
our  seats  in  it.  Nikola  gave  the  driver  his  in- 
structions, and  in  a  short  time  we  were  bowl- 
ing along  in  the  direction  of  our  hotel. 
Throughout  the  drive  I  could  see  no  signs  of 
the  enemy.  I  was  in  the  act  of  wondering 
how  such  a  game  as  we  were  then  playing 
could  possibly  help  us  if  the  Celestials  had 


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■'Hi:, 


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I  V! 


i 


138 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


failed  to  see  us  come  ashore,  when  Nikola 
turned  to  me,  and  in  his  usual  quiet  voice 
said : — 

"  I  wonder  if  you  have  noticed  that  we  are 
being  followed?  " 

I  replied  that  I  certainly  had  not,  nor 
could  I  see  how  he  could  tell  such  a  thing. 

"  Very  easily,"  he  said:  "  I  will  prove  that 
what  I  say  is  correct.  Do  you  remember  the 
small  boy  who  went  irt  search  of  a  cab?  " 

I  answered  that  I  did,  whereupon  he  bade 
me  examine  our  reflection  as  we  passed  the 
next  shop  window.  I  did  so,  and  could  plain- 
ly distinguish  a  small  figure  seated  on  the  rail 
at  the  back.  Save  this  atom,  ourselves,  and 
a  solitary  policeman,  the  street  was  deserted. 

"  I  do  see  a  small  boy,"  I  answered;  "  but 
may  he  not  be  coming  with  us  to  try  and  ob- 
tain the  job  of  carrying  our  luggage?  " 

"  He  is  engaged  upon  another  now. 
When  he  came  up  from  the  river  he  was  on 
the  lookout  for  us,  although  as  you  may  have 
noticed,  he  pretended  to  be  asleep  in  a  door- 
way. He  obtained  the  cab  for  us,  and  as  you 
stepped  into  it  he  ranged  up  alongside  and 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


139 


handed  something  to  t.ie  driver.  When  we 
alight  he  will  wait  to  see  that  our  luggage  is 
carried  in,  after  which  he  will  decamp  and 
carry  the  information  to  his  employers,  who 
will  endeavour  to  cut  our  throats  as  soon  as 
the  opportunity  occurs." 

"  You  look  at  the  matter  in  an  eminently 
cheerful  light,"  I  said.  "  For  my  own  part,  I 
have  no  desire  to  give  them  the  chance  just 
yet.  Is  there  no  way  in  which  we  can  prevent 
such  a  possibility  occuiring?  " 

"  It  is  for  that  reason  that  we  are  here," 
Nikola  replied.  "  I  can  assure  you  I  am  no 
more  anxious  to  die  than  you  are.  There 
would  be  a  good  deal  of  irony  in  having  per- 
fected a  scheme  for  prolonging  life,  only  to 
meet  one's  death  at  the  hand  of  a  Chinese 
ruffian  in  a  civilised  English  town." 

Then  what  is  your  plan?  "  I  inquired. 

I  will  tell  you.  But  do  not  let  us  speak 
so  loud:  little  pitchers  have  long  ears.  My 
notion  is  that  we  make  for  the  hotel,  the  name 
of  which  I  was  careful  to  give  the  driver  in 
the  hearing  of  the  boy.  We  will  engage  a 
couple  of  rooms  there,  order  breakfast  for 


« 


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ki      ! 


140 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


to-morrow  morning,  still  in  the  hearing  of 
the  boy,  and  afterwards  get  out  of  the  way 
as  quietly  as  possible." 

"  It  sounds  feasible  enough,"  I  replied,  "  if 
only  we  can  do  it.  But  do  you  think  the  men 
will  be  so  easily  fooled?" 

**  Well,  that  remains  to  be  proved. 
However,  we  shall  very  soon  find  out." 

*'  A  pretty  sort  of  thing  you've  let  yourself 
in  for.  Master  Ingleby!  "  I  thought  to  myself 
as  Nikola  lapsed  into  silence  once  more.  "  A, 
week  ago  you  were  starving  in  a  back  street 
in  London,  and  now  it  looks  very  much  as 
if  you  are  going  to  be  murdered  in  affluence 
in  Newcastle.  However,  you've  let  yourself 
in  for  it,  and  have  only  yourself  to  blame  for 
the  result." 

Consoling  myself  in  this  philosophic  way, 
I  held  my  peace  until  the  cab  drew  up  before 
the  hostelry  to  which  my  companion  had 
alluded.  As  soon  as  we  were  at  a  standstill, 
Nikola  alighted  and  went  into  the  hotel  to  in- 
quire about  rooms.  As  we  had  agreed,  I  re- 
mained in  the  cab  until  he  returned. 

"  It's  all  right,  Ingleby,"  he  cried,  as  he 


DR.  NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


141 


crossed  the  pavement  again.  "  They're  very 
full,  but  we  can  have  the  rooms  until  the  day 
after  to-morrow.  After  that  we  must  look 
elsewhere.     Now  let  us  get  the  traps  inside." 

The  porter  emerged  and  took  our  lug- 
gage, and  we  accompanied  him  into  the  build- 
ing. As  we  did  so  I  saw  the  ragged  urchin 
who  had  ridden  behind  the  cab  draw  nearer 
the  portico. 

The  manager  received  us  in  the  hall. 

"  Numbers  59  and  60,"  he  said  to  the  por- 
ter. "  WouM  you  care  for  any  supper,  gen- 
tlemen? " 

We  thanked  him,  but  declined,  and  then 
followed  the  porter  upstairs  to  the  rooms  in 
question.  Having  seen  my  luggage  safely  in- 
stalled and  the  man  on  his  way  downstairs, 
Nikola  showed  himself  ready  for  business. 

"  When    you    get    into    these    sort    of 

scrapes,"  he  said,  "  it  is  just  as  well  to  have  a 

good  memory.     I  know  these  rooms  of  old, 

and  directly  I  saw  the  position  we  were  in  I 

thought  they  might  prove  of  use  to  us.     I 

once  did  the  manager  a  good  turn,  and  when 

I  explain  matters  to  him  I  fancy  he  will  under- 
10 


142 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


!<^Ml  ( 


-J 


;v    h 


■:' 


Stand  why  we  have  taken  up  our  abode  with 
him  only  to  leave  again  so  suddenly.  Have 
you  a  sheet  of  notepaper  and  an  envelope  in 
your  bag?  " 

I  produced  them  for  him,  whereupon  he 
wrote  a  note,  and  having  placed  a  bank-note 
inside,  addressed  it  to  his  friend. 

"  I'll  leave  it  on  the  chimney-piece,  where 
the  chambermaid  will  be  certain  to  see  it,"  he 
said.  "  I  have  told  the  manager  th^t  we  are 
obliged  to  leave  in  this  unceremonious  fash- 
ion in  order  to  rid  ourselves  of  some  unpleas- 
ant fellow  travellers,  who  have  been  following 
us  about  with  what  I  can  only  think  must 
be  hostile  intent.  Until  we  return  I  have 
asked  him  to  take  charge  of  your  baggage,  so 
that  you  need  have  no  fear  on  that  score.  I 
am  sorry  you  should  have  to  lose  it,  but  I 
can  lend  you  anything  you  may  require  until 
you  get  possession  of  it  again.  Now,  if 
only  we  can  get  out  of  this  window  and 
down  to  the  Tyneside  once  more,  without 
being  seen,  I  think  we  may  safely  say  we 
have  given  Quon  Ma  the  slip  for  good 
and  all." 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


143 


So  saying  he  crossed  the  room  and  threw 
open  the  window. 

"  We  are  both  active  men,"  Nikola  con- 
tinued, **  and  should  experience  small  diffi- 
culty in  dropping  on  to  the  roof  of  the  out- 
house below;  thence  we  can  make  our  way 
along  the  wall  to  the  back.     Are  you  ready?  " 

"  Quite  ready,"  I  answered;  whereupon 
he  crawled  out  of  the  window,  and,  holding 
on  by  both  hands,  lowered  himself  until  his 
feet  were  only  a  yard  or  so  above  the  roof  of 
the  outhouse  to  which  he  had  referred.  Then 
he  let  go  and  dropped.  I  followed  his  exam- 
ple, after  which  we  made  our  way  in  Indian 
file  along  the  wall,  passed  the  stables,  and 
dropped  without  adventure  into  the  dark  lane 
at  the  rear  of  the  hotel.  It  was  the  first  time 
in  my  life  I  had  left  a  building  of  that  descrip- 
tion in  such  an  unceremonious  fashion,  yet, 
strangely  enough,  I  remember,  it  caused  me 
no  surprise.  In  Nikola's  company  the  most 
extraordinary  performances  seemed  common- 
place, and  in  the  natural  order  of  things. 

"  From  now  forward  we  must  proceed 
with  the  greatest  caution,"  said  my  compan-: 


144 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


■■I 


ion,  as  we  regained  our  feet  and  paused  before 
making  our  way  down  the  dark  lane  toward  a 
small  street  at  the  farther  end.  "  They  are 
scarcely  likely  to  watch  the  back  of  the  hotel, 
but  it  will  be  safer  for  us  to  suppose  them  to 
be  doing  so." 

Acting  up  to  this  decision,  we  proceeded 
with  as  much  caution  as  if  every  shadow  were 
an  enemy  and  every  doorway  contained  a  vil- 
lainous Celestial.  We  saw  nothing  of  the 
men  we  feared,  however,  and  eventually 
reached  the  thoroughfare  leading  to  the 
docks,  without  further  adventure.  But,  for- 
tunate as  we  had  so  far  been,  we  were  not  des- 
tined to  get  away  as  successfully  as  we  had 
hoped  to  do.  We  were  within  sight  of  the 
river  when  something,  I  cannot  now  remem- 
ber what,  induced  me  to  look  back.  I  did  so 
just  in  time  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  a  figure  em- 
erging from  the  shadow  of  a  tall  building. 
At  any  other  time  such  a  circumstance  would 
have  given  rise  to  no  suspicion  in  my  mind; 
but,  worked  up  to  such  a  pitch  as  I  was  then, 
I  seemed  gifted  with  an  unerring  instinct  that 
told  me  as  plainly  as  any  words  that  the  man 


I J I 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


>45 


in  question  was  following  us,  and  that  he  was 
the  Chinaman  we  were  so  anxious  to  avoid. 
I  pointed  him  out  to  Nikola,  and  asked 
whether  he  agreed  with  me  as  to  the  man's 
identity. 

"  We  will  soon  decide  that  point,"  was  his 
reply.  "  Slacken  your  pace  for  a  moment, 
and  when  I  give  the  word  wheel  sharply  round 
and  walk  toward  him." 

We  executed  this  manoeuvre,  and  began 
to  walk  quickly  back  in  the  direction  we  had 
come.  The  mysterious  figure  was  still  mak- 
ing its  way  along  the  darker  side  of  the  street; 
and  our  suspicions  were  soon  confirmed,  for 
on  seeing  us  turn  he  turned  also,  and  a  few 
seconds  later  disappeared  down  a  side  street. 

"  He  is  spying  on  us,  sure  enough,"  said 
Nikola,  "  and  I  do  not  see  how  we  are  going 
to  baflfle  him.  Let  us  hasten  on  to  the  river 
and  trust  to  luck  to  get  on  board  the  yacht 
without  his  finding  out  where  we  have  gone." 

Once  more  we  turned  ourselves  about, 
and  in  something  less  than  five  minutes  had 
reached  the  landing-place  for  which  we  were 
steering.     Then,  pulling  a  whistle  from  his 


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146 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


pocket,  Nikola  blew  three  sharp  notes  upon 
it.  An  answer  came  from  the  deck  of  the 
yacht  out  in  the  stream.  It  had  scarcely  died 
away  before  a  boat  put  off  from  alongside  the 
craft  and  came  swiftly  towards  us. 

"  It  is  only  a  question  of  minutes  now," 
said  Nikola,  throwing  a  hasty  glance  round 
him.  "  Time  versus  the  Chinaman,  and  if  I 
am  not  mistaken  " — here  the  boat  drew  up  at 
the  steps — "  time  has  the  best  of  it.  Come 
along,  my  friend;  let  us  get  on  board." 

I  followed  him  down  the  steps  and  took 
my  place  in  the  dinghy.  The  men  j^ulling 
bent  to  their  oars,  and  we  shot  out  into  the 
stream. 

"  Look,"  said  Nikola,  pointing  to  the 
place  we  had  just  left :  "  I  thought  our  friend 
would  not  be  very  far  behind  us." 

I  followed  with  my  eyes  the  direction  in 
which  he  pointed,  and,  sure  enough,-  I  could 
just  distinguish  a  dark  figure  standing  upon 
the  steps. 

"  They  would  like  to  catch  me  if  they 
could,"  observed  the  Doctor,  with  a  shrug 
of  his  shoulders  and  one  of  his  peculiar  laughs. 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


U7 


"  If  they  have  tried  once  they  have  done  so  a 
hundred  times.  I  will  do  them  the  credit  of 
saying  that  their  plans  have  been  admirably 
laid,  but  Fate  has  stood  by  n^e,  and  on  each 
occasion  they  have  miscarried.  They  tried 
it  first  at  Ya-Chow-Fu,  then  at  I-chang, 
afterward  in  Shanghai,  Rangoon,  Bom- 
bay, London,  Paris,  and  St.  Petersburg, 
and  I  can't  tell  you  how  many  other  places; 
but  as  you  see  they  have  not  succeeded  so 
far." 

"  But  why  should  they  do  it?  "  I  asked. 
"  What  is  the  reason  of  it  all?  " 

"  That  is  too  long  a  story  for  me  to  tell 
you  now,"  he  replied,  as  the  boat  drew  up  at 
the  accommodation-ladder.  "  You  shall  hear 
it  another  day.  Our  object  now  must  be  to 
get  away  from  Newcastle  without  further 
loss  of  time." 

I  followed  him  along  the  deck  to  where  a 
short,  stout  man  stood  waiting  to  receive  us. 
Are  you  ready,  Stevens?  "  asked  Nikola. 
All  ready,  sir,"  the  other  replied,  with 
the  brevity  of  a  man  who  is  not  accustomed 
to  waste  his  words. 


(( 


€< 


mi\ 


:)'l*«   I 


h'    ' 


148 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


H 


i^ 


ii  ! 


I.     1 


'    ! 


■  1 


1'  i 


"  In  that  case  let  us  start  as  quickly  as 
possible." 

"  At  once,"  the  man  replied,  and  imme- 
diately went  forward;  while  Nikola  conduct- 
ed me  down  a  prettily  arranged  and  con- 
structed companion-ladder  to  the  saloon  be- 
low. As  we  reached  it  I  heard  the  tinkle  of 
the  telegraph  from  the  bridge  to  the  engine 
room,  and  almost  simultaneously  the  screw 
began  to  revolve  and  we  were  under  way. 
After  the  darkness  outside,  the  brilliant  light 
of  the  saloon  in  which  we  now  stood  was  so 
dazzling  that  I  failed  to  notice  the  fact  that 
a  bedplace  had  been  made  up  behind  the  butt 
of  the  mizzen  mast.  Upon  this  lay  the  old 
Don,  and  seated  by  his  side,  and  holding  his 
hand,  was  the  Doiia  Consuelo. 

"  My  dear  young  lady,"  said  Nikola  in  his 
kindest  manner,  as  he  advanced  toward  her, 
"  I  fear  you  must  be  worn  out.  However,  we 
are  under  way  again  now,  and  1  have  in- 
structed my  servant  to  prepare  a  cabin  for 
you,  in  which  I  trust  you  will  be  fairly  com- 
fortable." 

Dofia  Consuelo  had  risen,  and  was  stand- 


(    :l 


u 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


149 


ing  looking  into  his  face  as  if  she  were  fright- 
ened of  sometliing  he  was  about  to  say. 

"  I  am  not  at  all  tired,"  she  said,  "  and  if 
you  don't  mind,  I  would  far  rather  remain 
here  with  my  great-grandfather." 

"  As  you  wish,"  answered  Nikola  abstract- 
edly. Then,  stooping,  he  raised  the  old 
man's  left  hand  and  felt  his  pulse.  The  long, 
thin  fingers  of  the  Doctor,  indicative  of  his 
extraordinary  skill  as  a  surgeon,  seemed  to 
twine  round  the  other's  emaciated  wrist,  while 
his  face  wore  a  look  I  had  never  seen  upon  it 
before — it  was  that  of  the  born  enthusiast, 
the  man  who  loves  his  profession  more  than 
aught  else  in  the  world.  While,  however,  I 
was  observing  Nikola,  you  must  not  suppose 
I  was  regardless  of  the  Doiia  Consuelo.  To 
a  student  of  character,  the  expression  upon 
her  face  could  scarcely  have  been  anything 
but  interesting.  While  Nikola  was  conduct- 
ing his  examination,  she  watched  him  as  if 
she  dreaded  what  he  might  do  next.  Fear 
there  was  in  abundance,  but  of  admiration  for 
the  man  I  could  discover  no  trace.  The  ex- 
amination concluded,  Nikola  addressed  two 


I 


ISO 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


; ;  ■  I 


^  », 


!,j 


iU 


1M  ■!' 


or  three  pertinent  questions  to  her  concern- 
ing her  great-grandfather's  health  during  the 
voyage,  which  she  answered  with  correspond- 
ing clearness  and  conciseness.  The  old  man 
himself,  however,  though  conscious,  did  not 
utter  a  word,  but  laj'  staring  up  at  the  sky- 
light above  his  head,  just  ab  T  had  seen  him  do 
on  board  the  steamship  Dofia  Mercedes. 

Fully  five  hours  must  have  elapsed  before 
we  reached  our  destination;  indeed,  day  had 
broken,  and  the  sun  was  in  the  act  of  rising, 
when  a  gentle  tapping  upon  the  skylight 
overhead  warned  Nikola  that  our  voyage  was 
nearly  at  an  end.  Leaving  the  old  man  in 
his  great-granddaughter's  care,  Nikola  signed 
to  me  to  follow  him  to  the  deck. 

"  It  may  interest  you  to  see  your  future 
home,"  he  said,  as  we  stepped  out  of  the  com- 
panion into  the  cool  morning  air,  and  looked 
out  over  the  sea,  which  the  rim  of  the  newly 
risen  sun  was  burnishing  until  it  shone  like 
polished  silver.  At  the  moment  the  yacht 
was  entering  a  small  bay,  surrounded  by  giant 
cliffs,  against  which  the  great  rollers  of  the 
North  Sea  broke  continuously.     The  bay  it- 


l 


'  i  I 


^'i  i 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


'5» 


self  was  in  deep  shadow,  and  was  as  dreary  a 
place  as  any  I  have  seen.  I  looked  about 
me  for  a  dwelling  of  any  sort,  but  not  a  sign 
of  such  a  thing  could  I  discover:  only  a  long 
stretch  of  frowning  cliff  and  desolate,  wind- 
swept tableland. 

"  At  first  glance  it  does  not  look  inviting," 
said  Nikola,  with  a  smile  upon  his  face,  as  he 
noticed  the  expression  upon  mine.  "  I  con- 
fess I  have  seen  a  more  hospitable  coast-line, 
but  never  one  better  fitted  for  the  work  we 
have  in  hand." 

"  But  I  do  not  see  the  castle,"  I  replied, 
"  I  have  looked  in  every  direction,  but  can 
discover  no  trace  of  it." 

"  One  of  its  charms,"  he  continued  tri- 
umphantly. "  You  cannot  see  it  because  at 
present  it  is  hidden  by  yonder  headland. 
When  we  are  safely  in  the  bay,  however,  you 
will  have  a  good  view  of  it.  It  is  a  fine  old 
building,  and  in  bygone  days  must  have  been  a 
place  of  considerable  importance.  Ships  in- 
numerable have  gone  to  pieces  in  sight  of  its 
turrets;  while  deep  down  in  its  own  founda- 
tions I  am  told  there  are  dungeons  enough 


152 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


( m 


;; 


fl      ' 


fiq    '  'I 


Id '  h 


''i, 


to  imprison  half  the  county.  See,  we  are 
opening  up  the  bay  now,  and  in  five  minutes 
shall  be  at  anchor.  1  wonder  what  result  we 
siiall  have  achieved  wheti  we  next  steam  be- 
tween these  heads." 

While  he  was  speaking  we  had  passed 
from  the  open  sea  into  the  still  water  of  the 
bay,  ana  the  yacht  was  slowing  down  percep- 
tibly. Gradually  the  picture  unfolded  itself, 
until,  standing  out  in  bold  relief  upon  the 
clift's  like  some  grim  sentinel  of  the  past,  the 
castle  which,  for  some  time  to  come  at  least, 
was  destined  to  be  my  home  came  into  view. 
Who  its  architect  had  been  I  was  never  able 
to  discover,  but  he  must  have  been  impreg- 
nated  with  the  desolation  and  solemn  gran- 
deur of  the  coast,  and  in  his  building  have 
tried  to  equal  it.  As  Nikola  had  said,  a  place 
better  fitted  for  the  work  we  had  to  do  could 
not  have  been  discovered  in  the  length  and 
breadth  of  England.  The  nearest  village  was 
upwards  of  twelve  miles  distant;  farms  or 
dwelling-houses  there  were  none  within  view 
of  its  towers.  Tourists  seldom  ventured 
near  it,  for  the  reason  that  it  was  not  only  a 


/    ;/ 


.  4J. 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERTMENT. 


153 


place  difficult  of  approach,  but,  what  was  per- 
haps of  more  importance,  because  there  was 
nothing  of  interest  to  be  seen  v.hen  jou 
reached  it.  As  I  gazed  at  it,  I  thought  of  the 
girl  in  the  saloon  below,  and  wondered  what 
her  feelings  would  be,  and  what  her  life  would 
be  like,  in  such  a  dismal  place.  I  glanced  at 
Nikola,  who  was  gazing  up  at  the  grim  walls 
with  such  rapt  attention  that  it  was  easily 
seen  his  thoughts  were  far  away.  Then  the 
telegraph  sounded,  and  the  screw  ceased  to 
revolve.  The  spell  was  broken,  and  we  were 
recalled  to  the  realities  of  the  moment. 

"  I  was  miles  away,"  saia  Nikola,  looking 
round  at  me. 

"  I  could  see  you  were,"  I  answered. 

"  You  would  be  very  surprised  if  you 
knew  of  what  I  was  thinking,"  he  continued. 
"  I  was  recalling  a  place  not  unlike  this,  but 
ten  thousand  miles  or  more  away.  It  is  a 
monastery,  similarly  situated,  on  the  top  of 
enormous  cliffs.  It  was  there  I  obtained  the 
secret  which  is  the  backbone  of  the  discovery 
we  are  about  to  test.  I  have  been  in  some 
queer  places  in  my  time,  but  never  such  a  one 


>54 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


\rr 


.  I  \ 


/ 


as  that.  But  we  haven't  time  to  talk  of  that 
now.  What  we  have  to  do  is  to  get  the  old 
man  ashore  and  up  to  yonder  building.  If 
anything  were  to  happen  to  him  now,  I  think 
it  would  break  my  heart." 

**  And  his  great-granddaughter's  also,"  I 
put  in;  **  for  you  must  admit  she  is  devoted 
to  him." 

He  threw  a  quick  glance  at  me,  as  if  he 
were  trying  to  discern  how  far  I  was  inter- 
ested in  the  beautiful  girl  in  the  saloon  below. 
Whatever  conclusion  he  may  have  come  to, 
however,  he  said  nothing  to  me  upon  the  sub- 
ject. Having  ordered  the  captain  to  see  the 
boat — which  had  been  specially  prepared  for 
the  work  of  carrying  the  old  gentleman  ashore 
— brought  alongside,  he  made  his  way  to  the 
saloon,  and  I  accompanied  him. 

"  We  have  reached  our  destination,  Doiia 
Consuelo,"  he  said,  as  he  approached  the  bed, 
beside  which  she  was  sitting. 

As  he  spoke,  there  leapt  into  her  eyes  the 
same  look  of  terror  I  had  noticed  before.  It 
reminded  me  more  than  anything  else  of  the 
expression  one  sees  in  the  eyes  of  a  rab- 


fj    ' 


!  II 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


»5S 


bit  when  the  snare  has  closed  upon  it.  As  I 
noticed  it,  for  the  first  time  since  1  had  known 
him,  a  feeling  of  hatred  for  Nikola  came  over 
me.  It  was  not  until  we  were  in  the  boat  and 
were  making  our  way  ashore  that  I  found  an 
opportunity  of  speaking  to  her  without 
Nikola  overhearing  us. 

**  Courage,  my  dear  young  lady,  cour- 
age! "  I  said.  '*  Believe  me,  there  is  nothing 
to  fear.     I  will  pledge  my  life  for  your  safety." 

She  gave  me  a  look  of  gratitude,  and 
stooped  as  if  to  arrange  the  heavy  travelling- 
rug  covering  her  aged  relative.  In  reality  1 
believe  it  was  to  hide  the  tears  with  which  her 
eyes  were  filled.  From  that  moment  there 
existed  an  indefinable,  real  bond  between  us; 
and  though  I  did  not  realise  it  at  the  mo- 
ment, the  first  mark  had  been  made  upon  the 
chain  with  which  Nikola  imagined  he  had 
bound  me  to  him. 

On  reaching  that  side  of  the  bay  on  which 
there  was  a  short  strip  of  beach,  the  boat  was 
grounded.  The  four  sailors  immediately 
took  up  the  litter  upon  which  the  old  man  lay, 
and  carried  it  ashore.     The  path  up  to  the 


i  'f 


*! 


41 


i      ■' 


'  Is*' 


^hi 


1 1 1, 


156 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT, 


castle  was  a  steep  and  narrow  one,  and  the 
work  of  conveying  him  to  the  top  was  by  no 
means  easy.  Eventually,  however,  it  was  ac- 
complished, and  we  stood  before  the  entrance 
to  the  caitle.  Moat  there  was  none,  but  in 
place  of  it,  and  spanned  by  the  drawbridge — a 
ponderous  afifair,  something  like  fifty  feet 
long  by  ten  wide — was  an  enormous  chasm 
going  sheer  down  in  one  drop  fully  two  hun- 
dred fee*-.  At  the  bottom  water  could  be  seen; 
and  at  night,  when  the  tide  came  in,  the  gurg- 
ling and  moaning  which  rose  from  it  was  suf- 
ficient to  appal  the  stoutest  heart. 

"Welcome  to  Allerdeyne  Castle!"  said 
Nikola,  as  we  crossed  the  bridge  and  entered 
the  archway  of  the  ancient  keep.  Then, 
bending  over  the  old  man  on  the  litter,  he 
added:  'When  you  cross  this  threshold 
again,  my  old  friend,  I  hope  that  you  will  be 
fully  restored  to  health  and  strength — a 
young  man  again  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
Dofia  Conseulo,  I  am  all  anxiety  to  hear  your 
opinion  of  the  apartments  I  have  caused  to 
be  prepared  for  you." 

Moving    in    procession    as    before,    we 


vf 


1         !: 


we 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


157 


crossed  the  great  courtyard,  which  echoed  to 
the  sound  of  our  footsteps,  and,  reaching  a 
door  on  the  farther  side,  entered  and  found 
ourselves  standing  in  a  well-proportioned  hall, 
from  which  a  staircase  of  solid  stone,  up  which 
a  dozen  soldiers  might  have  marched  abreast, 
led  to  the  floors  above.  With  Nikola  still  in 
advance,  we  made  the  ascent,  turned  to  the 
right  hand,  and  proceeded  along  a  corridor, 
upwards  of  fifty  yards  in  length,  out  of  which 
opened  a  number  of  lofty  rooms.  Before  the. 
door  of  one  of  these  Nikola  pauc?d. 

"  This  is  the  apartment  I  have  set  aside 
for  your  own  particular  use,  my  dear  yonng 
lady,"  he  said;  and  with  that  he  threw  open 
the  door,  and  showed  us  a  large  room,  car- 
peted, curtained,  and  furnished  in  a  fashion 
I  was  far  from  expecting  to  find  in  so  sombre 
a  buliding. 

"  Should  there  be  anything  wanting,"  he 
said,  "  you  will  honour  me  by  mentioning  it, 
when  I  will  do  all  that  lies  in  my  power  to 
supply  it." 

Her  face  was  very  pale,  and  her  lips  trem- 
bled a  little  as  she  faltered  a  question  as  to 


158 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


I      Sli  .       n 


i' 


V 


U' 


h    i' 


B  i^ 


V 


I  'i:';^ 


!!:■! 


,.i^  !.i 


il     A 


Mr 


I    i'i  '*■! 


where  her  great-grandfather  was  to  be  domi- 
ciled. 

"  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that,  for 
the  future,  it  would  be  better,"  said  Nikola, 
speaking  very  slowly  and  distinctly,  as  if  in 
anticipation  of  future  trouble,  **  that  you 
should  entrust  him  tc  my  care.  Ingleby  and 
I,  between  us,  will  make  ourselves  responsible 
for  his  safety,  and  you  may  rest  assured  we 
will  see  that  no  harm  comes  to  him.  You 
must  endeavour  to  amuse  yourself  as  best  you 
can,  consoling  yourself  with  the  knowledge 
that  we  are  doing  all  that  science  can  do  for 
him." 

As  he  said  this  he  smiled  a  little  sarcasti- 
cally, as  if  her  reading  of  the  word  science 
would  be  likely  to  differ  considerably  from 
his. 

"  But  surely  you  do  not  mean  that  I  am 
to  give  him  up  to  you  entirely?  "  she  cried, 
this  time  in  real  terror.  "  You  cannot  be 
so  cruel  as  to  mean  that  Oh,  Dr.  Nikola,  I 
implore  you  not  to  take  him  altogether  from 
me.     I  cannot  bear  it." 

"  My  dear  young  lady,"  said  Nikola,  a  lit- 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


159 


a  lit- 


tle more  sternly  than  he  had  yet  spoken,  "  in 
this  matter  you  must  be  guided  by  me.  I 
can  brook  no  interference  of  any  description. 
Surely  you  should  know  me  well  enough  by 
this  time  to  be  aware  of  that." 

"  But  he  is  all  I  have  to  live  for — all  I  have 
to  love,"  the  girl  faltered.  "  Can  you  not 
make  allowance  for  that?" 

H^r  voice  was  piteous  in  its  pleading,  and 
when  I  heard  Nikola's  chilling  tones  as  he  an- 
swered her,  I  could  have  found  it  in  my  heart 
to  strike  him.  To  have  interfered  at  all,  how- 
ever, would  have  done  no  sort  of  good;  so, 
hard  as  it  seemed,  I  was  perforce  compelled 
to  hold  my  tongue. 

•*  If  you  love  your  great-grandfather,"  he 
said,  "  you  will  offer  no  opposition  to  my 
scheme.  Have  I  not  already  assured  you 
that  I  will  return  him  to  you  a  diflferent  man? 
But  we  are  wasting  time,  and  these  stone 
corridors  are  too  cold  and  draughty  for  him. 
It  you  will  be  guided  by  me,  you  will  rest  a 
little  after  your  exertions.  There  is  an  old 
woman  below  who  shall  come  to  you,  and  do 
her  best  to  make  herself  useful  to  you.' 


i! 


f» 


"i; 


Vi- 


I.     ( 


■  ) 


lir'iif  i. 


"  '/ii 
4^ 


i 


'  If 


i:     rn 


J I 


i6o 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


Seeing  that  to  protest  further  would  be 
useless,  the  girl  turned  and  went  into  the 
room,  trying  to  stifle  the  sobs  that  would  not 
be  kept  back.  The  sight  was  one  which 
would  have  grieved  a  harder  heart  than  mine, 
and  it  hurt  me  the  more  because  I  knew  that 
I  was  powerless  to  help  her. 

All  this  time  the  four  sailors,  who  had  car- 
ried the  litter  up  from  the  beach,  had  been  si- 
lent spectators  of  the  scene.  Now  they  took 
up  their  burden  once  more  and  followed 
Nikola,  along  the  corridor,  up  some  more 
steps,  down  still  another  passage,  until  I  lost 
all  count  of  the  way  that  we  had  come.  The 
greater  portion  of  the  castle  had  been  allowed 
to  fall  into  disrepair.  Heavy  masses  of  cob- 
webs stretched  from  wall  to  wall,  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  doors  were  worm-eaten,  and 
in  some  instances  had  even  fallen  in  alto- 
gether, revealing  desolate  apartments  in 
which  the  wind  from  the  sea  whistled,  and  the 
noise  of  the  waves  echoed  with  blood-curdling 
effect.  Reaching  the  end  of  the  second  cor- 
ridor, Nikola  paused  before  a  heavy  curtain 
which  was  drawn  closely  from  wall  to  wall, 


DR.  NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


l6l 


and  ordered  the  men  to  set  down  their  burden. 
They  obeyed;  and,  on  being  told  to  do  so, 
took  their  departure  with  as  much  speed  as 
they  could  put  into  the  operation.  If  I  know 
anything  of  the  human  face,  they  were  not  a 
little  relieved  at  receiving  permission  to  clear 
out  of  a  place  that  had  every  right  to  be  con- 
sidered the  abode  of  a  certain  Old  Gentleman 
whom  it  scarcely  becomes  me  to  mention. 

When  the  sound  of  their  footsteps  had 
died  away,  Nikola  drew  back  the  curtain  and 
displayed  a  plain  but  very  strong  wooden 
door.  From  the  fact  that  the  workmanship 
was  almost  new  I  surmised  that  my  host  had 
placed  it  there  himself,  but  for  what  purpose 
I  could  only  conjecture.  Taking  a  key  from 
his  pocket,  he  slipped  it  into  the  patent  lock, 
turned  the  handle,  and  the  door  swung  open. 

"  Take  up  your  end  of  the  litter,"  he  said, 
"  and  help  me  to  carry  it  inside." 

I  did  as  I  was  ordered;  and,  bearing  the 
old  man  between  us,  we  passed  into  that  por- 
tion of  the  castle  which,  as  I  soon  discovered, 
he  had  fitted  up  in  readiness  for  the  great  ex- 
periment. 


i 


1 62 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


•f  \\ 


m 


!,!' 


!■'    il. 


Having  passed  the  door,  we  found  our- 
selves in  a  comparatively  lofty  room,  or  per- 
haps I  had  better  say  hall,  the  walls  of  which 
were  covered  almost  entirely  with  anatomical 
specimens.  From  what  I  could  see  of  them 
I  should  say  that  many  were  quite  unique, 
while  all  were  extremely  valuable.  Where 
and  by  what  means  he  had  collected  them  I 
was  never  able  to  discover,  although  Nikola, 
on  one  or  two  occasions,  threw  out  hints. 
There  they  were,  however,  and  I  promised 
myself  that  during  my  stay  in  the  place  I 
would  use  them  for  perfecting  my  own  knowl- 
edge on  the  subject. 

At  the  end  of  this  hall,  and  looking  over 
the  sea,  was  a  large  window,  while  in  either* 
wall  were  several  doors,  all  of  which,  like  that 
in  the  corridor,  were  heavily  curtained.  The 
carpet  was  of  cork  and  quite  noiseless;  the 
lights  were  electric,  the  batteries  and  dyna- 
mos being  in  a  room  below.  The  heating  ar- 
rangements were  excellent,  while  the  ventila- 
tion was  of  the  most  modern  and  improved 
description.  I  noticed  that  Nikola  smiled  a 
little  contemptuously  at  my  astonishment. 


t    I  > 


PR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT, 


163 


"  You  were  unprepared  for  this  surprise," 
he  said.  '*  Well,  let  me  give  you  a  little  piece 
of  advice,  and  that  is,  never  be  astonished  at 
anythiAig  you  may  see  or  hear  while  you  are 
with  me.  The  commonplace  and  I,  I  can  as- 
sure you  once  and  for  all,  do  not  live  to- 
gether. I  have  homes  in  all  parts  of  the 
world;  I  am  in  England  to-day,  engaged 
upon  one  piece  of  work,  and  in  six  months' 
time  I  may  be  in  India,  Japan,  Peru,  Kamt- 
chatka,  or  if  you  like  it  better,  shall  we  say 
playing  tricks  with  niggers  in  Cape  Coast  Cas- 
tle? But  see,  we  are  keeping  our  old  friend 
waiting.  I  will  find  out  if  all  the  preparations 
I  have  ordered  are  complete;  if  so,  we  will 
convey  him  at  once  to  the  chamber  set  apart 
for  him." 

With  that  he  touched  a  bell,  and  almost 
before  he  had  removed  his  finger  from  the 
button,  a  curtain  at  the  farther  end  was  drawn 
aside,  and  the  same  Chinese  servant — the 
deaf-and-dumb  individual,  I  mean,  who  had 
brought  the  letter  to  me  at  my  lodgings  in 
London  the  previous  week — entered  the 
room.     Seeing  his  master,  he  bent  himself 


164 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


U.: 


if. 


I  i  :  iH 


!       'I,i 


/ 


nearly  double,  and  when  he  had  resumed  his 
upright  posture  as  curious  a  conversation 
commenced  as  ever  I  have  known.  I  use  the 
word  "  conversation  "  for  the  simple  reason 
that  I  do  not  know  how  else  to  describe  it. 
As  a  «ri.aif*».r  of  fact  it  was  lOt  a  conversation 
at  ai  ior  the  reason  th<  i  not  a  word  was 
spcxen  on  eitiier  side;  their  lips  moved,  but 
not  a  sound  came  from  them.  And  yet  they 
seemed  quite  able  to  understand  one  another. 
If,  however,  it  was  a  strange  performance,  it 
had  at  least  the  merit  of  being  an  extremely 
successful  one. 

"  He  tells  me  that  everything  is  prepared," 
Nikola  remarked,  as  the  man  crossed  the 
room  and  drew  back  another  curtain  from  a 
doorway  on  our  left.  "  This  is  the  room ;  but 
before  we  carry  him  into  it  I  think  we  had 
better  have  a  little  light  upon  the  subject." 

To  press  the  electric  switch  was  the  work 
of  a  moment,  and  as  soon  as  this  had  been 
done  we  once  more  took  up  our  burden  and 
carried  it  into  the  inner  room.  Prepared  as 
I  had  been  by  the  outer  hall  for  something  ex- 
traordinary, I  was  perhaps  not  so  much  sur- 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


165 


prised  at  the  apartment  in  which  I  now  found 
myself  as  I  should  otherwise  have  been.  And 
yet  it  was  sufficiently  remarkable  to  fill  any 
one  with  wonder. 

It  was  upwards  of  twenty  feet  in  length 
by  possibly  eighteen  in  width.  The  walls  and 
the  ceilings  were  as  black  as  charcoal,  and, 
when  the  electric  light  was  extinguished,  not 
a  ray  of  anything  would  be  visible.  T  x  '*?e 
centre  was  a  strange  contrivance  v 'licl  I 
could  see  was  intended  to  serve  as  a  '  *ci  and 
for  some  other  purpose,  which  at  tht  m .  mcnt 
w::-  not  quite  apparent  to  me.  In  .  Lrther 
corners  were  a  couple  of  queer-looking  pieces 
of  machinery,  one  of  which  reminded  me 
somewhat  of  an  unusually  large  electric  bat- 
tery; the  other  I  could  not  understand  at  all. 
A  machine  twice  the  size  of  those  usually  em- 
ployed for  manufacturing  ozone  stood  oppo- 
site the  door;  thermometers  of  every  sort  and 
description  were  arranged  at  intervals  along 
the  walls;  while  on  one  side  was  an  ingenious 
apparatus  for  heating  the  room,  and  on  the 
other  a  similar  one  for  cooling  it.  At  the 
head  and  foot  of  the  bed  were  two  brass  pil- 


i'ii 


■ 


i66 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'  I )' 


I    ! 


•  '. 


11 


f?l 


i!i 


f  i 


>}  ■ 


/ 


lars,  the  construction  and  arrangements  of 
which  reminded  me  of  electric  terminals  on 
an  exaggerated  scale. 

We  placed  the  old  gentleman  on  the  bed. 
The  litter  was  thereupon  removed  by  the  ser- 
vant, and  Nikola  and  I  stood  facing  each 
other  across  the  form  of  the  man  who  was  to 
prove,  or  disprove,  the  feasibility  of  the  dis- 
covery my  extraordinary  employer  claimed  to 
have  made. 

"  For  twenty-four  hours,"  said  Nikola, 
"  he  must  have  absolute  peace  and  quiet. 
Nothing  must  disturb  him.  Nor  must  he 
taste  food." 

"  But  is  he  capable,  do  you  think,"  I 
asked,  "  of  going  without  nourishment  for  so 
long  a  time?  " 

"  Perfectly !  On  the  draught  I  am  about 
to  administer  to  him,  he  could  do  without  it, 
were  such  a  thing  necessary,  for  a  much  lon- 
ger period.  Indeed,  it  would  not  hurt  him  if 
he  were  to  eat  nothing  for  a  month." 

He  left  the  room  for  a  moment,  and  when 
he  returned  he  carried  in  his  hand  a  tiny  phial 
of  the  same  description,  though  much  smaller, 


i-'i 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


167 


as  those  which  had  been  stolen  from  me  on 
board  the  steamer.  It  contained  a  thick  red 
mixture,  which,  when  he  removed  the  stop- 
per, threw  off  a  highly  pungent  odour.  He 
opened  the  mouth  of  the  patient  and  poured 
upwards  of  a  teaspoonful  into  it.  As  before, 
I  expected  to  see  some  immediate  result,  but 
my  curiosity  was  not  gratified.  Deftly  ar- 
ranging the  bed-coverings,  Nikola  inspected 
the  thermometers,  tested  the  hot  and  cold 
air  apparatus,  and  then  turned  to  me. 

"  He  will  require  little  or  no  supervision 
for  some  hours  to  come,"  he  said,  *'  so  we  may 
safely  leave  him.  To  while  away  the  time,  if 
you  care  about  it,  I  will  show  you  something 
of  my  abode.  I  t^ink  I  can  promise  you  both 
instruction  and  amusement." 


\) 


41 


rh 


CHAPTER    VI. 


f3 


m 


Leaving  the  room  in  which  we  had  placed 
Don  Miguel  de  Moreno,  as  described  in  the 
previous  chapter,  we  returned  to  the  hall,  the 
same  in  which  was  contained  the  magnificent 
collection  of  anatomical  specimens  already 
mentioned.  Tired  as  I  was — for  it  must  be 
remembered  that  I  had  had  but  little  sleep 
during  the  first  night  I  had  spent  on  board  the 
Dofia  Mercedes,  and  none  at  all  on  that 
through  which  we  had  just  passed,  while  I  had 
had  a  great  deal  of  excitement,  and  my  fair 
share  of  hard  work — I  would  not  have  lost 
the  opportunity  of  exploring  Nikola's  quar- 
ters in  this  grim  old  castle  for  any  considera- 
tion whatsoever.  Nikola  himself,  though 
one  would  scarcely  have  thought  it  from  his 
appearance,  must  have  possessed  a  constitu- 
tion of  iron,  for  he  seemed  as  fresh  as  when  I 
had  first  seen  him  at  Kelleran's  house  in  Lon- 

i68 


DR.    NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


I«9 


don.  There  was  a  vitality  about  him,  a  brisk- 
ness, and,  if  I  may  so  express  it,  an  enjoyment 
of  labour  for  its  own  sake,  that  I  do  not  re- 
member ever  to  have  found  in  another  man. 
As  1  was  soon  to  discover,  my  description  of 
him  was  not  very  wide  of  the  mark.  He 
would  do  the  work  of  half  a  dozen  men,  and 
at  the  tnd  be  ready,  and  not  only  ready  but 
eager,  for  more.  In  addition  to  this,  I  no- 
ticed another  peculiarity  about  him.  Unlike 
most  people  who  are  fond  of  work,  he  pos- 
sessed an  infinite  fund  of  patience;  could  wait 
for  an  issue,  whatever  it  might  be,  to  develop 
itself  naturally,  and,  unlike  so  many  experi- 
mentalists, betrayed  no  desire  to  hurry  it  by 
the  employment  of  extraneous  means.  In 
thus  putting  forward  my  reading  of  the  most 
complex  character  that  has  ever  come  under 
my  notice,  1  do  so  with  an  absolute  freedom 
from  bias.  Indeed,  I  might  almost  say,  that 
I  do  so  in  a  great  measure  against  my  own  in- 
clinations, as  will  be  apparent  to  you  when 
you  have  finished  my  story. 

"  As  I  informed  you  in  London,"  said  this 
strange  individual,  after  he  had  closed  the 


I/O 


DR.   MKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


!  t^ 


f'\ 


nr.i 


4' 


'^1  i 


'V  ■v 


m\ 


door  of  the  patient's  room  behind  him,  had 
drawn  the  heavy  curtain,  and  switched  off  ♦he 
electric  light,  "  I  purchased  this  famous  castle 
expressly  for  the  experiment  we  are  about  to 
try.  The  owner,  so  my  business  people  in- 
formed me,  was  amazed  that  I  should  want  it 
at  all;  but  then  you  see  he  did  not  understand 
its  value.  If  I  had  searched  the  world,  I 
could  not  have  discovered  a  better.  While 
we  are  near  enough  to  civilisation  to  be  able 
to  obtain  anything  we  may  require  in  the  way 
of  drugs  or  incidental  apparatus,  we  have  no 
prying  neighbours.  Such  household  stores 
as  we  require  the  yacht  brings  us  direct  from 
Newcastle;  an  old  man  and  woman,  who 
take  care  of  the  place  when  I  am  absent,  have 
their  quarters  in  the  keep;  my  Chinese  ser- 
vant cooks  for  me  personally,  and  attends  to 
the  wants,  which  are  not  many,  of  the  other 
people  under  my  care." 

"  Other  people  under  your  care? "  I 
echoed.  "  I  had  no  idea  there  was  any  one 
in  the  house  save  yourself  and  your  servants." 

"  It  is  scarcely  likely  you  would  have  any 
idea  of  it."  he  observed,  "  seeing  that  no  one 


.M; 


i;  i 


!f 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


171 


knows  of  it  save  Ah-Win,  who,  for  reasons 
you  have  seen,  is  unable  to  talk  about  them, 
and  myself,  who  would  be  even  less  likely  to 
do  so.     Would  you  care  to  see  them?  " 

I  replied  that  I  would  very  much  like  to 
do  so,  and  he  was  about  to  lead  me  across  the 
hall  towards  the  door,  through  which  the 
Chinese  servant  had  entered  some  little  time 
before,  when  a  curious  circumstance  hap- 
pened. With  a  bound  that  was  not  unlike 
the  spring  of  a  tiger,  an  enormous  cat,  black 
as  the  Pit  of  Tophet,  jumped  from  the  room, 
and,  approaching  his  master,  rubbed  himself 
backwards  and  forwards  against  his  legs. 
Seeing  my  astonishment,  Nikola  condescend- 
ed to  explain. 

"  You  are  going  to  say,  I  can  tell,  that  you 
have  never  seen  such  a  cat  as  ApoUyon.  I 
don't  suppose  you  have.  If  he  could  talk,  he 
would  be  able  to  tell  some  strange  stories, 
would  you  not,  old  man?  He  has  been  my 
almost  constant  companion  for  many  years, 
and  more  than  once  he  has  been  the  means  of 
saving  my  life." 

Replacing  Apollyon,  whom  he  had  picked 


172 


DR    NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


^iilV  : 


i '  . 


i=-    Vi 


[/"I 


li    ;  ' 


up,  on  the  floor,  he  conducted  me  towards 
the  entrance  of  another  corridor  which  led  in 
the  direction  of  the  keep.  Half-way  down  it 
was  a  rough  iron  gate  which  was  securely  pad- 
locked. Nikola  undid  it,  and  when  we  were 
on  the  other  side  carefully  relocked  it  after 
him. 

"  Though  you  might  not  think  so,"  he 
said,  **  these  precautions  are  necessary.  Some 
of  my  patients  are  extremely  valuable,  and 
I  have  not  the  least  desire  that  they  should 
escape  from  my  keeping  and  fall  over  the  bat- 
tlements into  the  sea  below.     Follow  me.** 

I  accompanied  him  towards  yet  another 
door,  which  he  also  unlocked.  The  scene 
which  met  my  gaze  when  he  threw  it  open, 
to  employ  a  hackneyed  phrase,  beggars  de- 
scription. The  room  was  about  the  same 
size  as  that  occupied  by  the  Dofia  Consuelo, 
but  it  was  not  its  proportions  that  amazed 
me,  but  its  occupants.  Accustomed  as  I  had 
necessarily  been,  by  virtue  of  my  profession, 
to  what  are  commonly  called  horrors,  I  found 
that  I  was  not  proof  against  what  I  had  be- 
fore me  now.     It  was  sufficient  to  make  my 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


173 


blood  run  cold.  Anything  more  gruesome 
could  scarcely  have  been  discovered  or  even 
imagined.  Try  to  picture  for  yourself  the  in- 
mates of  a  dozen  freak  museums,  and  the 
worst  of  the  monstrosities  of  which  you  have 
ever  read  or  heard,  and  you  will  only  have 
some  dim  notion  of  the  folk  whom  Nikola  so 
ironically  called  his  patients.  Some  were  like 
men,  but  not  men  as  we  know  them;  some 
were  like  monkeys,  but  of  a  kind  I  had  never 
seen  before,  and  which  I  sincerely  hope  I  may 
never  see  again;  there  were  things,  dull,  flab- 
by, faceless  things — but  there,  I  can  go  no 
further.  To  attempt  to  describe  them  to 
you  in  detail  is  a  work  of  which  my  pen  is 
quite  incapable. 

"  A  happy  family,"  said  Nikola,  advancing 
into  the  room,  "  and  without  exception  de- 
voted to  their  nurse.  Ah- Win,  yonder,  who,  as 
you  are  aware,  in  a  measure  shares  their  afflic- 
tions with  them.  Some  day,  if  you  care  about 
it,  I  should  be  only  too  pleased  to  give  you 
a  lecture,  with  demonstrations,  such  as  you 
would  get  in  no  medical  school  in  the  world." 

Though  I  havj  attempted  to  set  down  his 

12 


I 


174 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


1      / 


' '  I  ■ 


offer  word  for  word,  I  have  but  the  vaguest 
recollection  of  it;  for,  long  before  he  had  fin- 
ished speaking,  I  had  staggered,  sick  and 
faint  with  horror,  into  the  corridor  outside. 
Not  for  the  wealth  of  England  would  I  have 
remained  there  a  miiiute  longer.  To  see 
those  loathsome  creatures  fawning  round 
Nikola,  clutching  at  his  legs  and  stroking  his 
clothes,  was  too  much  for  me,  and  I  verily  be- 
lieve an  hour  in  that  room  would  have  had 
the  effect  of  making  me  an  idiot  like  them- 
selves. A  few  moments  later  Nikola  joi.icd 
me  in  the  passage. 

"  You  are  very  easily  affected,  m;,'  dear 
Ingleby,"  he  said,  with  one  of  his  p  nliar 
smiles.  "  I  should  have  thouf.dit  your  hospi- 
tal experience  i^^o  ild  have  endowed  you  with 
stronger  nerves.  My  >oor  people  in  yon- 
der  " 

"  Don't,  don't,"  I  cried,  holding  up  tny 
hand  in  entreaty.  "  Don't  speak  to  me  of 
them.  Don't  let  me  think  of  them.  If  I  do, 
I  believe  I  shall  go  mad.  My  God!  are  you 
human,  that  you  can  live  with  such  things 
about  you?  " 


!    ! 


\rm 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


i;5 


<( 


I  believe  I  am,"  he  answered  with  the 
utmost  coolness.  "  But  why  make  such  a 
fuss?  Do  like  I  do,  and  regard  them  from  a 
scientific  standpoint  only.  The  poor  things 
have  come  into  this  world  handicapped  by 
misfortune;  I  endeavour  as  far  as  possible  to 
ameliorate  their  conditions,  and  in  return  they 
enable  me  to  perfect  my  knowledge  of  the  hu- 
man frame  as  no  other  living  man  can  ever 
hope  to  do.  Of  course,  I  know  there  are 
people  who  look  askance  at  me  for  keeping 
them;  but  that  does  not  trouble  me.  At 
one  time  they  lived  with  me  in  Port  Said, 
which,  when  you  come  to  think  of  it,  is  a  fit 
and  proper  place  for  such  a  hospital.  Cir- 
cumstances, however,  combined  to  induce  me 
to  leave.  Eventually  we  came  here.  Some 
time,  if  you  care  to  hear  it,  I  will  tell  you  the 
story  of  their  voyage  home.  It  would  in- 
terest you." 

I  protested,  however,  that  I  desire  to 
hear  no  more  about  them;  I  had  both  een 
and  heard  too  much  already.  That  being  so, 
Nikola  led  me  along  the  passage  and  tl  rough 
the  iron  gate,  which  he  locked  behind  him 


li 


'F    m 


•IPI 


II 


I'] ,  i 


Mi 


i       C    i: 


f-  ! 


'(( 


■       r 


I  1 


II      1 


i:^  I 


176 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


as  before,  and  so  conducted  me  to  the  hall 
whence  we  had  first  set  out.  Once  there,  he 
went  to  a  corner  cabinet,  and  from  it  pro- 
duced a  decanter.  Pouring  me  out  a  stiff 
glass  of  brandy,  he  bade  me  drink  it. 

**  You  look  as  if  you  want  it,"  he  said. 
And  Heaven  knows  he  was  right. 

"  And  now,"  he  said,  when  I  had  finished 
it,  "  if  you  will  take  my  advice,  you  will  lie 
down  for  an  hour  or  two.  For  the  conveni- 
ence of  our  work,  I  have  arranged  that  you 
shall  occupy  a  room  near  me.  This  is  it. 
Should  I  want  you,  I  will  ring  a  bell." 

The  room  to  which  he  alluded  adjoined 
his  own,  and  was  situated  at  the  far  end  of  the 
hall,  the  door,  like  those  of  the  others  I  have 
described,  being  concealed  behind  a  curtain. 
Neve**  was  permission  to  retire  more  willingly 
accepted,  and  within  five  minutes  of  leaving 
him  I  was  in  bed  and  asleep. 

It  must  have  been  between  ten  and  eleven 
o*clock  in  the  forenoon  when  I  retired;  and 
the  afternoon  was  well  advanced  before  I 
woke  again.  Heavily  as  I  slept,  however, 
it  had  not  been  restful  slumber.     All  things 


DR.    NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


^n 


considered,   I   liad   much   better   have   been 
waking. 

Over  and  over  again  I  saw  the  Dona  Con- 
suelo  standing  before  me,  just  as  she  had  done 
before  Nikola  that  day;  there  was  this  difTer- 
ence,  however — instead  of  asking  to  be  al- 
lowed to  remain  with  her  great-grandfather, 
her  prayer  was  that  I  should  save  both  him 
and  her  from  Nikola,  While  she  pleaded  to 
me,  the  faces  of  the  terrible  creatures  I  had 
seen  in  that  room  down  the  passage  peered 
at  us  from  all  sorts  of  hiding-places.  It  was 
night,  an  hour  or  so  before  dawn.  I  had  ac- 
ceded to  the  Dona's  request,  and  vlu.  flying 
from  the  castle,  carrying  her  in  my  arms.  At 
last,  after  I  appeared  to  have  been  running 
for  an  eternity,  we  reached  the  shore,  where 
I  hoped  to  find  a  boat  awaiting  us.  But  not 
a  sign  of  one  was  to  be  seen.  While  I  waited 
day  broke,  and  I  placed  my  burden  on  the 
sand,  only  to  spring  back  from  it  with  a  cry 
of  horror.  It  was  not  the  Dofia  Consuelo  I 
had  been  carrying,  but  one  of  those  loathsome 
creatures  I  had  seen  in  that  terrible  room.  A 
fit  of  rage  came  over  me,  and  I  was  about  to 


178 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'   I 


HM; 


'i  ! 


ilili 


wreak  my  vengeance  on  the  unhappy  idiot, 
when  I  woke.  I  looked  about  me  at  the 
somewhat  sparsely  furnished  room,  and  some 
seconds  elapsed  before  I  realised  where  I  was. 
Then  the  memory  of  our  arrival  at  the  castle, 
and  of  all  that  had  happened  since,  returned 
to  me.  I  shuddered,  and  had  it  not  been  for 
that  poor  girl,  so  lonely  and  friendless,  I  could 
have  found  it  in  my  heart  to  wish. myself  back 
in  London  once  more.  Having  dressed  my- 
self, I  went  out  into  the  hall.  Nikola  was  not 
there.  I  waited  for  some  time,  but  as  he  did 
not  put  in  an  appearance  I  left  the  room  and 
made  my  way  down  the  corridor  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Doiia  Consuelo's  sitting-room. 
Not  able  to  get  any  answer  when  I  knocked, 
I  continued  my  walk,  ascended  another  flight 
of  stairs,  and  eventually  found  myself  upon 
the  battlements.  A  better  place  for  observ- 
ing the  construction  of  the  castle,  and  of  ob- 
taining a  view  of  the  surrounding  country, 
could  not  have  been  desired.  On  one  side  I 
could  look  away  across  the  moorland  towards 
a  distant  range  of  hills,  and  on  the  other  along 
the  clifTs  and  across  the  wide  expanse  of  sea. 


(!       I 


\il 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


»79 


In  the  tiny  bay  to  my  right  the  yacht  which 
had  brought  us  from  Newcastle  lay  at  anchor; 
and  had  it  not  been  for  that  and  a  column  of 
smoke  rising  from  a  chimney,  I  might  have 
believed  myself  to  be  living  in  a  world  of  my 
own.  For  some  time  I  stood  watching  the 
panorama  spread  out  before  me.  I  was  still 
looking  at  it  when  a  soft  footfall  sounded  on 
the  stones  behind  me.  I  turned  to  find  Dona 
Consuelo  approaching  me.  She  was  dressed 
entirely  in  black,  and  wore  a  lace  mantilla  over 
her  shoulders. 

"  Thank  Heaven,  I  have  found  you.  Dr. 
Ingleby,"  she  cried,  as  she  hastened  towards 
me.  "  I  had  begun  to  think  myself  deserted 
by  everybody." 

"Why  should  you  do  that?"  I  asked. 
"  You  know  that  could  never  be." 

"  I  am  certain  of  nothing  now,"  she  an- 
swered. "  You  cannot  imagine  what  I  have 
been  through  to-day." 

"  I  am  indeed  sorry  to  hear  you  have  been 
unhappy,"  I  continued.  "  Is  there  any  way  in 
which  I  can  be  of  service  to  you?  " 

There  are  many  ways,  but  I  fear  you 


(( 


i8o 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


f:U 


;f) 


'  ( ( 


H:  ; 


would  not  employ  them,"  she  replied.  "  I 
am  hungering  to  be  with  my  great-grandfa- 
ther again.  Can  you  tell  me  why  Dr.  Nikola 
takes  him  away  from  me?  " 

"  I  fancied  that  he  had  told  you,"  I  an- 
swered; **  but  if  it  be  any  consolation  to  you, 
let  me  give  you  my  assurance  that  he  is  being 
tenderly  cared  for.  His  comfort  is  secured 
in  every  way;  and  from  what  Dr.  Nikola  has 
said  to  me,  and  from  what  I  have  seen  myself, 
I  feel  convinced  he  will  be  able  to  do  what  he 
has  promised  and  make  your  great-grandfa- 
ther a  hale  and  hearty  man  once  more." 

"  It  is  all  very  well  for  him  to  say  that," 
she  said,  "  but  why  am  I  not  permitted  to  be 
with  him?  If  he  needs  nursing,  who  would 
be  likely  to  wait  upon  him  so  devotedly  as 
the  woman  who  loves  him?  Surely  Dr. 
Nikola  cannot  imagine  his  secret  would  be 
unsafe  with  me  if  he  reveals  it  to  you,  a  rival 
in  his  own  profession?  " 

"  It  is  not  that  at  all,"  I  answered.  "  I 
do  not  fancy  Nikola  has  given  a  moment's 
consideration  to  the  safety  of  his  secret." 
Then,  seeing  the  loophole  of  escape  she  pre- 


ir  i 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


I8l 


sented  to  me,  I  added:  *'  From  what  you  know 
of  him,  I  should  have  thought  you  would  have 
understood  that  he  has  no  great  hking  for 
your  sex.  lo  put  it  bluntly,  Nikola  is  a 
woman-hater  of  the  most  determined  order, 
and  I  fancy  he  would  find  it  impossible  to 
carry  out  his  plans  if  you  were  in  attendance 
upon  the  Don." 

"  Ah,  well,  I  suppose  I  must  be  content 
with  your  assurance,"  she  said  with  a  sigh. 

"  For  the  present,  I  am  very  much  afraid 
so,"  I  replied. 

At  this  moment  the  old  woman  whom 
Nikola  had  appointed  to  wait  upon  us,  made 
her  appearance,  and  informed  the  Dona  that 
her  dinner  awaited  her.  About  my  own 
meals  she  knew  nothing,  so  I  concluded  from 
this  that  I  was  to  take  them  with  Nikola  in 
our  own  portion  of  the  castle.  Such  proved 
to  be  the  case;  for  when  we  reached  the  Dofia 
Consuelo's  apartments  on  the  floor  below,  we 
met  Nikola  awaiting  us  in  the  corridor. 

"  I  have  been  looking  for  you,  Ingleby," 
he  said,  with  a  note  of  command  in  his  voice. 
'*  You  are  quite  ready  for  dinner,  I  have  no 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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1 82 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


doubt ;  and  if  you  will  accompany  me,  I  think 
we  shall  find  it  waiting  for  us." 

As  may  be  supposed,  I  would  rather  have 
partaken  of  it  with  the  Dotia  Consuelo;  but 
as  it  was  not  to  be,  I  bade  her  good-morning, 
and  was  about  to  follow  Nikola  along  the  cor- 
ridor, when  he  stopped,  and,  turning  to  the 
girl,  said: — 

"  I  can  see  from  your  face  that  you  have 
been  worrying  about  your  grandfather.  I 
assure  you,  you  have  not  the  least  cause  to  do 
so;  and  I  think  Ingleby  here,  if  he  has  not 
done  so  already,  will  bear  me  out  in  what  I 
say.  The  old  gentleman  is  doing  excellently, 
and  almost  before  you  know  he  has  been  taken 
away  from  you,  you  will  have  him  back 
again." 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  news,"  she  replied; 
but  there  was  very  little  friendliness  in  her 
voice.  "  I  would  rather,  however,  see  him 
and  convince  myself  of  the  fact."  Then,  bow- 
ing to  us,  she  retired  into  her  own  apartments, 
while  we  made  our  way  to  the  hall  in  search 
of  our  meal. 

"  To-morrow  morning,"  said  Nikola,  as 


\ 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


183 


we  drew  our  chairs  up  to  the  table,  **  we  must 
commence  work  in  earnest.  After  that  for 
some  weeks  to  come  I  am  afraid  you  will  see 
but  little  of  your  fair  friend  down  yonder. 
You  seem  to  be  on  excellent  terms  with  each 
other." 

As  he  said  this  he  shot  a  keen  glance  at 
me,  as  though  he  was  desirous  of  discovering 
what  was  passing  in  my  mind.  I  was  quite 
prepared  for  him,  however,  and  answered  in 
such  an  unconcerned  way  that  I  flattered  my- 
self, should  he  have  got  into  his  head  that 
there  was  anything  more  than  mere  friendship 
in  our  intimacy,  he  would  be  immediately  dis- 
abused of  the  notion. 

As  he  predicted,  the  following  morning 
saw  the  commencement  of  that  gigantic 
struggle  with  the  forces  of  Nature,  upon  the 
result  of  which  Nikola  had  pinnea  so  much 
faith  and  which  was  destined,  so  he  affirmed, 
to  revolutionize  the  world.  The  most  ex- 
haustive preparations  had  been  made,  the 
duration  of  our  watches  in  the  sick-room  were 
duly  apportioned,  and  a  minute  outline  of  the 
treatment  proposed  was  propounded  to  me. 


1 84 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


*'^'.l 


On  entering  the  dark  room  in  which  the 
old  Don  lay,  I  discovered  that  the  two  bronze 
pedestals,  the  use  of  which  had  puzzled  me  so 
much  on  my  first  visit,  had  been  moved  near 
the  bed,  one  being  placed  at  its  head  and  the 
other  at  its  foot.  These,  as  Nikola  pointed 
out  to  me,  were  the  terminals  of  an  electric 
conductor  for  producing  a  constant  current, 
which  was  to  play  without  intermission  a  few 
feet  above  the  patient's  head.  A  peculiar  and 
penetrating  smell  filled  the  room,  which  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  recognising  as  ozone,  though 
Nikola's  reason  for  using  it  in  such  a  case  was 
not  at  first  apparent  to  me.  The  old  Don 
himself  lay  just  as  v/e  had  left  him  the  previ- 
ous morning.  His  hands  were  by  his  sides; 
his  eyes,  as  usual,  were  open,  but  saw  nothing. 
It  was  not  until  I  examined  him  closely  that 
a  slight  respiratory  movement  was  observ- 
able. 

"  When  I  am  not  here,"  said  Nikola,  "  it 
must  be  your  business  to  see  that  this  electric 
current  is  kept  continually  playing  above  him. 
It  must  not  be  permitted  for  an  instant  to 
abate  one  unit  of  its  strength."     Then,  point- 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


185 


ing  to  an  instrument  fixed  at  the  further  wall, 
he  continued:  "  Here  is  a  volt  meter,  with 
the  maximum  and  minimum  points  plainly- 
marked  upon  it.  Your  record  must  also  in- 
clude temperature,  which  you  will  take  on 
these  dry  and  wet  thermometers  once  every 
quarter  of  an  hour.  The  currents  of  hot  and 
cold  air  you  can  regulate  by  means  of  these 
handles.  The  temperature  of  the  patient 
himself  must  be  noted  once  in  every  hour,  and 
should  on  no  account  be  permitted  to  get 
higher  or  lower  than  it  is  at  the  present  mo- 
ment." 

Taking  a  clinical  thermometer  from  his 
pocket,  he  applied  it,  and,  when  he  had  noted 
the  result,  handed  it  to  me. 

"  If  it  rises  two  points  above  that  before 
the  same  hour  three  days  hence,  he  will  die — 
no  skill  can  save  him.  If  it  drops,  well,  in 
eighty  per  cent,  of  cases,  the  result  will  be  the 


same. 


>> 


(( 


And  suppose   I  detect  a  tendency  to 


riser 


?" 


"  In  that  case  you  must  communicate  in- 
stantly with  me.     Here  is  an  electric  button 


1 86 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


H 


wJich  will  put  you  in  touch  with  my  room. 
I  hope,  however,  that  you  will  have  no  neces- 
sity to  use  it."  Then,  placing  his  hand  upon 
my  shoulder,  he  Icfoked  me  full  in  the  face. 
"  Ingleby,"  he  said,  **  you  see  how  much  trust 
I  am  placing  in  you.  I  tell  you  frankly,  you 
have  a  great  responsibility  upon  your  shoul- 
ders. I  am  not  going  to  beat  about  the  bush 
with  you.  In  this  case  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  certainty.  I  have  made  the  attempt  three 
times  before,  and  on  each  occasion  my  man 
has  died  simply  through  a  moment's  inat- 
tention on  the  part  of  my  assistant.  If  the 
love  of  science  and  a  proper  appreciation  of 
the  compliment  I  have  paid  yor  in  asking  you 
to  share  with  me  the  honour  of  this  great  dis- 
covery do  not  weigh  with  you,  think  of  the 
girl  with  whom  you  talked  upon  the  battle- 
ments yesterday.  You  tried  to  make  me  be- 
lieve that  she  was  nothing  to  you.  Some 
day,  however,  she  may  be.  Remember 
what  her  grandfather's  death  would  mean 
to  her." 

"  You  need  have  no  fear,"  I  replied.     "  I 
assure  you,  you  can  trust  me  implicitly.'* 


■  n 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


187 


"  I  do  trust  you,"  he  answered.  "  Now 
let  us  get  to  work." 

So  saying,  he  crossed  the  room  and 
opened  a  square  box,  heavily  clamped  with 
iron,  from  which  he  took  two  china  pots  of 
ointment.  Then,  disrobing  the  old  man,  we 
anointed  him  with  the  most  scrupulous  care 
from  head  to  foot.  This  we  did  three  times, 
after  which  the  second  curious  apparatus  I 
had  seen  standing  in  the  corner  was  wheeled 
up  to  the  bedside.  That  it  was  an  electrical 
instrument  of  some  sort  was  plain,  but  what 
its  specific  use  was  I  could  not  even  conjec- 
ture. Nikola,  however,  very  soon  enlightened 
me  upon  the  matter.  Taking  a  number  of 
large  velvet  pads,  each  of  which  was  moulded 
to  fit  a  definite  portion  of  the  human  body,  he 
placed  them  in  position,  attached  the  wires 
that  connected  them  with  the  machine,  and 
when  all  was  ready  turned  on  the  current.  At 
first  no  effect  was  observable.  In  about  a 
minute  and  a  half,  however,  if  my  memory 
serves  me,  the  usual  deathly  pallor  of  the  skin 
gave  place  to  a  faint  blush,  which  presently 
increased  until  the  skin  exhibited  a  healthy 


i 


1 88 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'.        I 


glow;  little  by  little  the  temporal  veins,  until 
then  so  prominent,  gradually  disappeared.  In 
half  an  hour,  during  which  the  current  had 
been  slowly  and  very  gradually  increased,  an- 
other dressing  of  both  ointments  was  applied. 

"  Take  this  glass  and  examine  his  skin," 
said  Nikola,  whose  eyes  were  gleaming  with 
excitement,  as  he  handed  me  a  powerful  mag- 
nifying glass.  When  I  bent  over  the  patient 
and  did  as  he  directed,  it  was  indeed  a  wonder- 
ful thing  that  I  beheld.  An  hour  before  the 
skin  had  been  soft  and  hung  in  loose  folds 
upon  the  bones,  while  the  pressure  of  a  finger 
upon  it  would  not  leave  it  for  upwards  of  a 
minute.  Now  it  had  in  a  measure  regained 
its  youthful  elasticity,  and  upon  my  softly 
pinching  it  between  my  fingers  I  found  that  it 
recovered  its  colour  almost  immediately. 

"  It  is  wonderful,"  I  whispered.  "  Had  I 
not  seen  it  myself,  I  would  never  have  be- 
lieved it." 

When  it  had  been  applied  for  an  hour,  the 
electric  current  was  turned  oflf  and  the  pads 
removed. 

**  Now  watch  what  happens  very  closely," 


\ 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


189 


said  Nikola,  **  for,  I  assure  you,  the  effect  is 
curious." 

Scarcely  able  to  breathe  by  reason  of  my 
excitement,  I  watched,  and  as  I  did  so  I  saw 
the  flush  of  apparent  health  gradually  de- 
crease, the  skin  become  white  and  loose 
once  more,  while  the  superficial  veins  rose 
into  prominence  upon  the  temples.  I  glanced 
at  Nikola,  thinking  that  some  mistake  must 
have  occurred  and  that  he  would  show  signs 
of  disappointment.  This,  however,  he  did 
not  do. 

"  You  surely  did  not  imagine,"  he  said, 
when  I  had  questioned  him  upon  the  subject, 
"  that  the  effect  I  produced  would  be  perma- 
nent on  the  first  application?  Noi  we  may 
hope  to  achieve  a  more  lasting  result  in  a 
fortnight's  time,  but  not  till  then.  Mean- 
while, the  effect  must  be  produced  in  the  same 
fashion  every  six  hours,  both  day  and  night. 
Now  give  me  those  rugs;  we  must  cover  him 
carefully.  In  his  present  state  the  least 
draught  would  be  fatal.  Record  the  state  of 
the  volt  meter,  read  your  thermometers,  and 
see  that  your  ventilating  apparatus  is  work- 

»3 


190 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


ing  properly.  As  I  said  just  now,  should  you 
need  me,  remember  the  bell.  One  ring,  when 
you  have  recorded  your  results,  will  inform 
me  that  all  is  progressing  satisfactorily,  while 
three  will  immediately  bring  me  to  your  as- 
sistance.    Do  you  understand?  " 

When  I  had  assured  him  that  I  did,  he 
left  me.  I  accordingly  switched  of¥  three  of 
the  electric  lights,  and  sat  myself  down  in  a 
chair  in  semi-darkness,  the  centre  of  light  be- 
ing the  patient  on  the  bed.  There  was  no 
fear  of  my  feeling  dull,  for  I  had  a  great  deal 
to  think  about.  Taken  altogether,  the  situa- 
tion in  which  I  found  myself  was  as  extraor- 
dinary as  the  most  inveterate  seeker  after  ex- 
citement could  desire.  Not  a  sound  was  to 
be  heard.  The  stillness  was  that  of  the  tomb, 
and  yet  I  smiled  to  myself  as  I  thought  that, 
if  Nikola's  experiment  achieved  the  result  he 
expected  of  it,  the  simile  was  not  an  appropri- 
ate one,  for  it  was  not  the  silence  of  the  tomb 
but  of  perpetual  life  itself.  I  looked  at  the 
figure  on  the  bed  before  me,  and  tried  to  pic- 
ture what  the  mystery  he  was  unravelling 
would  mean  to  mankind.     It  was  a  solemn 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


191 


thought.  Should  the  experiment  prove  suc- 
cessful, how  would  it  affect  the  world? 
Would  it  prove  a  blessing  or  a  curse?  But 
the  thoughts  it  conjured  up  were  too  vast, 
the  issues  too  great,  and  to  attempt  to  solve 
them  was  only  to  lose  oneself  in  the  fields  of 
wildest  conjecture. 

For  four  hours  I  remained  on  duty,  noting 
all  that  occurred;  reading  my  thermometers, 
regulating  the  hot  and  cold  air  apparatus, 
and  at  intervals  signalling  to  Nikola  that 
everything  was  progressing  satisfactorily. 
When  he  relieved  me,  "  retired  to  rest  and 
slept  like  a  top,  too  tired  even  to  dream. 

Of  what  happened  during  the  fortnight 
following  I  have  little  to  tell.  Nikola  and  I 
watched  by  the  bedside  in  turn,  took  our  ex- 
ercise upon  the  battlements,  ate  and  slept 
with  the  regularity  of  automata.  The  life  on 
one  side  was  monotonous  in  the  extreme;  on 
the  other  it  was  filled  with  an  unholy  excite- 
ment that  was  the  greater  inasmuch  as  it  had 
to  be  so  carefully  suppressed.  To  say  that  I 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  work  upon  which 
I  was  engaged  would  be  a  by  no  means  strong 


192 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


f  i) 


yi 


enough  expression.  The  fire  of  enthusiasm, 
to  which  I  have'  before  alluded,  was  raginp 
once  more  in  my  heart,  and  yet  there  had  l)een 
little  enough  so  far  in  the  experiment  to  ex- 
cite it.  With  that  regularity  which  char- 
acterized the  whole  of  our  operations,  we  car- 
ried on  the  work  I  have  described.  Every 
sixth  hour  saw  the  skin  tighten  and  become 
elastic,  the  hue  of  the  flesh  change  from  white 
to  pink,  the  veins  recede,  and  the  hollows  fill 
only  to  return  to  their  original  state  as  soon 
as  the  electric  current  was  withdrawn.  To- 
wards the  end  of  the  fortnight,  however,  there 
were  not  wanting  signs  to  show  that  the  ef- 
fect was  gradually  becoming  more  lasting. 
In  place  of  doing  so  at  once,  the  change  to  the 
original  condition  did  not  occur  until  some 
eight  or  ten  minutes  after  the  pads  had  been 
removed.  And  here  I  must  remark  that 
there  was  one  other  point  in  the  case  which 
struck  me  as  peculiar.  When  I  had  first  seen 
the  old  man,  his  finger-nails  were  of  that  pale 
yellow  tint  so  often  observable  in  the  very  old, 
now  they  were  a  delicate  shade  of  pink;  while 
his  hair  was,  I  felt  convinced,  a  darker  shade 


^•»    NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


«93 


than  it  had  been  before.  As  Nikola  was  care- 
ful to  point  out,  we  had  arrived  at  the  most 
critical  stage  of  the  experiment.  A  mistake 
at  this  juncture  would  not  only  undo  all  the 
work  we  had  accomplished,  but,  what  was 
more  serious  still,  might  very  possibly  cost  us 
the  life  of  the  patient  himself. 

The  night  I  am  about  to  describe  was  at 
the  end  of  the  fourteenth  day  after  our  ar- 
rival at  the  Castle.  Nikola  had  been  on 
watch  from  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  until 
eight,  when  I  relieved  him. 

"  Do  not  let  your  eyes  wander  from  him 
for  a  minute,"  he  said,  as  I  took  my  place  be- 
side the  bed.  "  From  certain  symptoms  I 
have  noticed  during  the  last  few  hours,  I  am 
convinced  the  crisis  is  close  at  hand.  Should 
a  rise  in  the  temperature  occur  summon  me 
instantly.  I  shall  be  in  the  laboratory  ready 
at  a  moment's  notice  to  prepare  the  Elixir 
upon  which  the  success  we  hope  to  achieve 
depends." 

"  But  you  are  worn  out,"  I  said,  as  I  no- 
ticed the  haggard  expression  upon  his  face. 
"  Why  don't  you  take  some  rest  ?  " 


I  i 

''■li 


194 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


"  Rest!  "  he  cried  scornfully.  "  Is  it  like- 
ly that  I  could  rest  with  such  a  discovery  just 
coming  within  my  grasp?  No;  you  need  not 
fear  for  me,  I  shall  not  break  down,  I  have 
a  constitution  of  iron." 

Having  once  more  warned  me  to  advise 
him  of  any  change  thai  might  occur,  he  left 
me,  and  when  I  had  examined  my  instruments, 
attended  to  the  electrical  apparatus,  and 
taken  the  patient's  temperature,  I  sat  down 
to  the  vigil  to  which  I  had  by  this  time  be- 
come accustomed.  Hour  by  hour  I  followed 
the  customary  routine.  My  watch  was  nearly 
at  an  end.  In  twenty  minutes  it  would  be 
time  for  Nikola  to  relieve  me.  Leaning  over 
the  old  man,  I  convinced  myself  that  no 
change  had  taken  place  in  his  condition;  his 
temperature  was  exactly  what  it  had  been 
throughout  the  preceding  fortnight.  I  care- 
fully wiped  the  clinical  thermometer,  and  re- 
placed it  in  its  case.  As  I  did  so,  I  was 
startled  by  hearing  a  wild  shriek  in  the  hall 
outside.  It  was  a  woman's  voice,  and  the 
accent  was  one  of  deadly  terror.  I  should 
have  recognised  the  voice  anywhere.     It  was 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


>95 


the  Dona  Consuelo's.  What  could  have  hap- 
pened? Once  more  it  rang  out,  and  almost 
before  I  knew  what  I  was  doing  I  had  rung 
the  bell  for  Nikola,  and  had  rushed  from  the 
room  into  the  hall  outside.  No  one  was  to 
be  seen  there.  I  ran  in  tLe  direction  of  the 
corridor  which  led  towards  the  Dona's  own 
quarters,  but  she  was  not  there!  I  returned 
and  followed  that  leading  towards  that  ter- 
rible room  behind  the  iron  gate.  The  pas- 
sage was  in  semi-darkness,  but  there  was  still 
sufficient  light  for  me  to  see  a  body  lying 
upon  the  floor.  As  I  thought,  it  was  the  Dona 
Consuelo,  and  she  had  fainted.  Picking  her 
up  in  my  arms,  I  carried  her  to  the  hall,  where 
the  meal  of  which  I  was  to  partake  at  the  end 
of  my  watch  was  already  prepared.  To  bathe 
her  forehead  was  the  work  of  a  moment.  She 
revived  almost  immediately. 

"  What  is  the  matter?  "  she  asked  faintly. 
"  What  has  happened?  "  But  before  I  could 
reply,  the  recollection  of  what  she  had  seen 
returned  to  her.  A  look  of  abject  terror 
came  into  her  face. 

Save  me,  save  me,   Dr.   Ingleby,"  she 


t( 


196 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'/ 1'  i': 


cried,  clinging  to  my  arm  like  a  frightened 
child.  "  If  I  see  them  again,  I  shall  go  mad. 
It  will  kill  me.  You  don't  know  how  fright- 
ened I  have  been." 

I  thought  I  was  in  a  position  to  under- 
stand exactly. 

"  Hush,"  I  answered.  "  Try  to  think  of 
something  else.  You  are  quite  safe  with  me. 
Nothing  shall  harm  you  here." 

She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and 
her  slender  frame  trembled  under  the  violence 
of  her  emotion.  Five  minutes  had  elapsed 
before  she  was  sufficiently  recovered  to  tell 
me  everything.  For  some  days,  as  I  soon 
discovered,  she  had  been  left  almost  entirely 
alone,  and  having  nothing  to  occupy  her 
mind,  had  been  brooding  over  her  enforced 
separation  from  her  aged  relative.  The  more 
she  thought  of  him  the  more  intense  became 
her  craving  to  see  him,  in  order  to  convince 
herself  that  no  harm  had  befallen  him.  A 
semi-hysterical  condition  must  have  ensued, 
for  she  rose  from  her  bed,  dressed  herself, 
and,  taking  a  candle  in  her  hand,  started  in 
the  hope  of  finding  him.    By  some  stroke  of 


DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


>97 


ill-fortune  she  must  have  discovered  a  passage 
leading  to  Ah-Win's  portion  of  the  Castle, 
and  at  last  found  herself  standing  before  the 
open  door  of  that  demon-haunted  room. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean?  "  she  cried  pite- 
ously.  *'  What  is  this  place,  and  why  are 
these  dreadful  things  here?  " 

I  was  about  to  reply,  when  the  curtain  at 
the  end  of  the  hall,  covering  the  door  of  the 
laboratory,  was  drawn  aside,  and  to  my  horri- 
fied amazement,  Nikola,  whom  I  imagined 
had  taken  my  place  in  the  patient's  room, 
stood  before  us.  As  I  saw  him  and  realised 
the  significance  of  the  position  a  cold  sweat 
broke  out  upon  my  forehead.  What  con- 
struction would  he  be  likely  to  place  upon  my 
presence  there?  For  a  few  seconds  he  stood 
watching  us,  then  an  expression  that  I  can 
only  describe  as  being  one  of  terror  spread 
over  his  face. 

"  What  does  this  mean?  "  he  cried  hoarse- 
ly. "  What  have  you  done? "  Then  run- 
ning to  the  door  of  the  Don's  room,  he  drew 
back  the  curtain  and  entered.  Leaving  the 
Dona  where  she  was,  I  followed  with  such  fear 


\  \ 


198 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


in  my  heart  as  I  had  never  known  before.  I 
found  Nikola  fumbling  with  the  case  of  the 
clinical  thermometer,  and  trembling  like  a 
leaf  as  he  did  so.  Thrusting  it  into  the  old 
man's  mouth,  he  hung  over  him  and  waited 
as  if  his  whole  life  depended  on  the  result. 
Withdrawing  it  again  and  holding  it  up  to  the 
light,  he  gazed  at  it. 

"  Too  late! "  he  cried,  and  I  scarcely  rec- 
ognised his  voice,  so  changed  was  it.  "  His 
temperature  has  dropped  a  point!  Ingleby, 
this  is  your  doing.  For  all  you  know  to  the 
contrary,  you  may  have  killed  him." 


CHAPTER    VII. 


In  the  preceding  chapter  I  made  you  ac- 
quainted with  the  calamity  which  befell  our 
patient,  and  of  the  serious  position  in  which 
I  found  myself  placed  with  Nikola  in  conse- 
quence. While  knowing  in  my  own  heart 
that  I  was  quite  innocent  of  any  intentional 
neglect  of  duty,  I  had  yet  to  remember  that 
had  I  remained  on  watch,  instead  of  leaving 
the  room  to  ascertain  what  had  befallen  the 
Doiia  Consuelo,  it  would  in  all  probability 
never  have  happened.  On  the  other  hand  I 
had  signalled  Nikola  and  called  him  to  my 
assistance  before  abandoning  my  charge. 
How  it  was  he  had  not  answered  my  sum- 
mons was  more  than  I  could  understand.  As 
it  transpired  afterwards,  however,  and  as  is 
usual  in  such  things,  the  explanation  was  a 
very  simple  one.     In  the  last  chapter  I  said 

that  when  he  left  me  to  go  to  the  laboratory, 

199 


M  II 


200 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


M'.'^': 


ill 


'ii 


y 


?,i'- 


he  was  quite  exhausted;  he  had  eaten  noth- 
ing for  many  hours,  and  as  a  natural  result  the 
fumes  of  the  herbs  he  was  distilling  had  over- 
powered him  and  he  had  fallen  in  a  dead  faint 
upon  the  floor. 

As  long  as  I  live  I  shall  retain  the  recollec- 
tion of  the  next  fourteen  hours.  During  the 
whole  of  that  time  Nikola  and  I  fought  death 
inch  by  inch  for  the  body  of  the  old  Don. 
From  midnight  until  the  following  afternoon, 
neither  of  us  crossed  the  threshold  of  the  sick- 
chamber,  and  during  the  whole  of  that  time, 
save  to  give  me  brief  directions,  Nikola  spoke 
no  word  to  me  at  all.  It  was  only  when  the 
mercury  in  the  clinical  thermometer  was  once 
more  established  on  its  accustomed  mark  that 
he  addressed  me.  Rearranging  the  bed  cov- 
ering and  wiping  his  clammy  forehead  with 
his  pocket-handkerchief,  he  turned  to  me. 

"  I  think  he  will  do  now,"  he  said.  "  Pro- 
vided he  does  not  lose  ground  within  the 
next  half-hour,  we  may  take  it  for  granted 
that  he  is  out  of  danger." 

This  was  the  opportunity  for  which  I  was 
waiting;  I  accordingly  seized  it.  \ 


iii 


m 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


201 


"  I  am  afraid,  Dr.  Nikola,"  I  said,  muster- 
ing courage  as  I  progressed,  "  that  you  con- 
sider me  to  blame  for  what  has  happened." 
He  looked  sharply  at  me,  and  then  said  coldly: 

"I  fail  to  see  how  I  could  very  well  think 
otherwise.  I  left  you  in  charge  and  you  de- 
serted your  post." 

"  But  I  assure  you,"  I  continued,  **  that 
you  are  misjudging  me.  I  could  not  help 
myself.  I  heard  the  girl  scream  and  ran  to 
her  assistance.  At  the  same  time  I  took  care 
to  ring  the  bell  for  you  before  I  left  the  room." 

"  You  should  not  have  left  it  at  all  until 
I  had  joined  you,"  he  answered,  still  in  the 
same  icy  tone.  "  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  did 
not  hear  your  summons;  I  had  fainted.  And 
one  other  question.  What  was  the  girl  doing 
in  this  portion  of  the  Castle?  " 

"  She  was  hysterical,"  I  answered,  "  and 
was  searching  for  her  great-grandfather. 
She  did  not  know,  herself,  how  she  got  here; 
but,  as  ill-luck  would  have  it,  she  saw  your 
terrible  people,  and  was  frightened  nearly  to 
death  in  consequence.  For  common  human- 
ity's sake  I  could  not  leave  her  as  she  was. 


202 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


ft  i 


!•'  1  » 


Having  rung  for  you,  I  naturally  thought  you 
were  with  the  Don,  and  that  I  was  free  to  ren- 
der her  what  assistance  I  could." 

"  Your  argument  is  certainly  plausible ; 
but  supposing  the  man  had  died  during  your 
absence?     How  would  you  have  felt  then?  " 

"  I  should  have  regretted  it  all  my  life,"  I 
answered.  "  But  surely  you  must  admit  that 
would  have  been  better  than  that  a  young  girl 
should  have  been  driven  mad  by  fear." 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  understand,"  Nikola 
replied,  "  that  I  would  willingly  sacrifice  a 
thousand  girls  to  accomplish  this  great  object 
I  have  in  view.  No!  no!  Ingleby,  you 
have  been  found  wanting  in  your  duty;  you 
have  checked  the  progress  of  the  experiment, 
and  if  that  old  man  had  died  " — here  he  took 
a  step  towards  me,  and  his  face  suddenly  be- 
came livid  with  passion — "  as  I  live  at  this 
moment  you  would  never  have  seen  the  light 
of  day  again.  I  swear  I  would  have  killed 
you  with  as  little  compunction  as  I  would 
have  destroyed  a  dog  who  had  bitten  me." 

So  menacing  was  his  attitude,  and  so  fiend- 
ish the  expression  on  his  face,  that  I  instinc- 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


203 


lively  recoiled  a  step  from  him,  and  yet  I 
don't  think  my  worst  enemy  could  accuse  me 
of  being  a  coward.  Was  the  man  a  lunatic? 
I  asked  myself;  had  the  magnitude  of  his  dis- 
covery turned  his  head?  If  so,  I  must  be 
careful  in  my  dealings  with  him. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  io  not  understand  you,  Dr. 
Nikola,"  I  said,  trying  to  appear  calmer  than 
I  really  felt.  "  You  talk  in  an  exaggerated 
fashion,  and  one  which  I  cannot  permit.  I 
confess  to  being  in  a  certain  measure  to  blame 
for  what  has  happened;  but  if  you  feel  that 
you  can  no  longer  repose  the  trust  in  me  that 
you  once  did,  I  would  rather  resign  my  post 
with  you,  and  leave  your  house  at  once." 

For  a  moment  I  thought  I  had  detected  a 
sign  of  fear  in  his  face.  Then  his  manner 
changed  completely. 

**  My  dear  Ingleby,"  he  said,  patting  me 
on  the  shoulder  and  speaking  in  quite  a  dif- 
ferent tone,  "  we  are  wrangling  like  a  pair  of 
schoolboys.  If  I  hurt  your  feelings  just  now, 
I  hope  you  will  forgive  me  and  ascribe  it  to 
my  anxiety.  For  the  last  two  days,  as  you 
are  aware,  I  have  been  overwrought.     When 


204 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


t\il 


:1' 
I 


/,  / 


I  Stated  that  I  considered  you  to  blame,  I  said 
more  than  I  meant;  for,  of  course.  I  know 
that  you  had  no  intention  of  injuring  our  pa- 
tient, or  of  doing  anything  to  prejudice  the 
end  we  have  in  view.  It  was  a  combination 
of  unfortunate  circumstances,  the  ill  effects  of 
which  by  good  luck  we  have  been  able  to  rem- 
edy.    Let  us  forget  all  about  it." 

**  With  all  my  heart,"  I  said,  with  a  mo- 
mentary friendliness  I  had  never  felt  for  him 
before,  and  held  out  my  hand  to  him.  He 
took  it,  when  to  my  surprise  I  found  that  his 
hand  was  as  cold  as  ice.  In  this  fashion  the 
cloud  between  us  appeared  to  have  been 
blown  away;  but  though  it  was  no  longer 
visible  to  the  naked  eye,  it  still  existed,  for  I 
was  unable  to  dispel  from  my  mind  the  re- 
collection of  the  threat  he  had  used  to  me. 
If  he  were  not  in  earnest  now,  he  had  at  least 
been  so  then;  and,  for  my  own  part,  I  put 
more  faith  in  his  threats  than  in  his  protesta- 
tions of  friendship. 

"  Come,  come,  this  will  never  do,"  said 
Nikola,  after  a  few  moments'  silence  which 
had  followed  after  our  reconciliation.     "  It  is 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


20; 


nearly  three  o'clock.  You  had  better  go  to 
your  room  and  rest  fo*-  a  couple  of  hours,  after 
which  you  can  relieve  me." 

Seeing  his  haggard  and  weary  face,  I  of- 
fered to  remain  on  duty  while  he  went  to  lie 
down,  but  to  this  he  would  not  consent.  It 
was  plain  he  was  still  brooding  over  what  had 
happened,  and  that  he  did  not  intend  to  trust 
me  any  further  than  he  was  absolutely 
obliged.  Accordingly,  I  did  not  press  him; 
but,  as  soon  as  I  had  noted  the  various  tem- 
peratures, and  had  done  what  I  could  to  help 
him,  I  left  him  to  his  vigil  and  went  to  my 
own  apartment.  I  had  had  nineteen  hours  in 
the  sick-room,  and  in  consequence  was  com- 
pletely worn  out.  During  that  time  I  had 
heard  nothing  of  the  Doiia  Consuelo.  But 
when  I  laid  ly  head  upon  my  pillow  and 
closed  my  eyes,  her  terrified  face,  as  I  had  seen 
it  the  previous  night,  rose  before  me.  Even 
then  I  could  feel  the  thrill  which  had  run 
through  me  as  I  took  that  lovely  body  in  my 
arms.  What  place  was  this  terrible  Castle,  I 
asked  myself,  for  such  a  woman?  How 
dreary  was  the  life  she  was  compelled  to  lead 

'4 


, 


I 


2o6 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


in  it;  without  companions,  and  cut  off  from 
the  one  person  who  only  a  week  betore  had 
been  all  her  world  to  her.  This  suggested 
another  and  a  sweeter  thought  to  me.  Was 
there  only  one  person  she  loved?  I  remem- 
bered how  she  had  clung  to  me  in  the  hall, 
and  how  she  had  appealed  to  me  to  save  her. 
The  mere  thought  that  there  might  be  some- 
thing more  than  simple  liking  in  her  attitude 
was  sufficient  to  set  my  heart  beating  like  a 
sledge-hammer.  Was  it  possible  I  could  be 
falling  in  love?  I,  who  had  thought  myself 
done  with  that  sort  of  thing  for  ever?  I 
smiled  at  the  idea.  A  nice  sort  of  position  I 
was  in  to  contemplate  such  a  thing.  And  yet 
I  was  so  lonely  in  the  world  that  it  soothed  me 
to  think  there  might  be  some  one  to  whom  I 
was  a  little  more  than  the  average  man,  and 
that  that  some  one  was  a  beautiful  and  noble 
woman.  With  these  thoughts  in  my  brain  I 
fell  asleep.  A  moment  later,  so  it  seemed, 
the  electric  bell  above  my  head  brought  me 
wide  awake  again.  One  glance  at  my  watch 
was  sufficient,  however,  to  show  me  that  I 
had  been  asleep  two  hours.     I  dressed  as 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


307 


quickly  as  possible  and  returned  to  the  Don's 
room,  when,  much  to  my  relief,  Nikola  in- 
formed me  that  there  had  been  no  relapse,  and 
that  all  was  progressing  as  satisfactorily  as 
he  could  wish.  Bidding  me  exercise  the 
greatest  vigilance  he  left  me  and  staggered 
from  the  room. 

"  A  little  more  of  this  sort  of  thing,  my 
friend,"  I  said  to  myself  as  I  watched  him 
pass  out  of  the  door,  "  only  a  little  more,  and 
you  will  be  unfit  for  anything." 

But  I  had  yet  to  learn  the  strength  of 
Nikola's  constitution.  He  was  like  a  steel 
bow — he  might  often  be  bent,  but  never 
broken. 

It  was  not  until  the  following  morning 
that  I  saw  Dofia  Consuelo  again.  We  met 
upon  the  battlements  as  usual. 

"  Dr.  Ingleby,"  she  said,  after  we  had  been 
standing  together  some  time,  "  I  feel  there  is 
something  I  should  say  to  you.  I  want  to 
tell  you  how  sorry  I  am  for  what  occurred  the 
other  night.  But  for  my  folly  in  wandering 
about  the  Castle  as  I  did  I  should  not  have 
seen  " — she  paused  for  a  moment,  and  a  shud- 


' 


tl« 


•1:1 


if  '  '■  ■'!! 


208 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


der  swept  over  her  at  the  recollection — "  I 
should  not  have  seen  what  I  did,  and  you 
would  not  have  got  into  trouble  with  Dr. 
Nikola." 

"  But  how  did  you  know  that  I  did  get 
into  trouble  with  Nikola?  "  I  asked. 

"  Because  Dr.  Nikola  spoke  to  me  about 
it,"  she  replied. 

On  hearing  this,  I  pricked  up  my  ears. 
Had  Nikola  taken  her  to  task  for  what  she 
had  done?  In  all  probability  he  had  blamed 
her.  I  tried  to  catch  her  on  this  point,  but 
she  would  tell  me  nothing. 

"  You  will  accept  my  apology,  won't 
you?"  she  asked;  "it  has  made  me  so  un- 
happy." 

"  You  must  not  apologise  to  me  at  all,"  I 
answered;  "  I  assure  you  none  is  needed.  I 
would  have  given  anything  to  have  prevented 
your  seeing — well,  what  you  did,  and  still 
more  to  have  prevented  Nikola  from  speaking 
to  you.  He  had  no  right  to  do  so."  Then, 
drawing  a  little  closer  to  her,  I  took  her  hand: 
"  Doiia  Consuelo,"  I  said,  "  I  am  very  much 
afraid  your  life  here  is  a  very  unhappy  one." 


r'  1; 


DR.  NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


209 


"  I  was  happier  in  Spain,"  she  answered. 
"  But  I  do  not  want  you  to  think  that  I  am 
grumbling;  you  have  given  me  your  promise 
that  no  ill  shall  befall  my  great-grandfather, 
and  for  this  reason  I  have  no  fear.  If  he  is 
well,  what  right  have  I  to  complain  of  any- 
thing that  may  happen  to  mys'di?  Some  day 
perhaps  Dr.  Nikola  will  allow  us  to  go  back 
to  Spain,  and  then  I  shall  forget  all  about  this 
t'-mble  Castle." 

I  wondered  if  the  hope  she  entertained 
would  ever  be  realized.  But  I  was  not  going 
to  permit  her  to  suppose  that  I  entertained 
any  doubt  at  all  about  it.  I  felt  I  should  like 
to  have  said  more,  but  prudence  restrained 
me.  She  looked  so  beautiful  that  the  temp- 
tation was  almost  more  than  I  could  with- 
stand. Whether  she  knew  anything  of  what 
was  in  my  mind,  I  cannot  say;  but  somehow  I 
fancied  she  must  have  done  so,  for,  though  I 
have  no  desire  to  appear  conceited,  I  could 
not  help  thinking,  when  we  bade  each  other 
good-bye,  there  was  a  look  of  sorrow  in  her 
face. 

Once   more   a    fortnight    went    by.     A 


t  'i 


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k 

2IO 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


month  had  now  elapsed  since  our  arrival  at 
the  Castle,  and  as  I  could  plainly  see,  Nikola's 
experiment  was  at  length  achieving  a  definite 
result.  The  changes  effected  by  the  use  of 
the  electric  batteries  and  the  constant  anoint- 
ing which  I  have  already  described  having 
ceased  within  a  short  time  of  the  removal  of 
the  means  by  which  they  were  occasioned, 
were  now  almost  permanent,  and  were  becom- 
ing more  so  every  day.  The  patient's  flesh 
was  firmer  and  his  skin  more  elastic,  while  his 
usual  pallor  had  given  place  to  what  might 
almost  be  described  as  a  healthy  tint.  So  far 
success  had  crowned  Nikola's  endeavours; 
but  whether  the  final  result  would  be  what 
he  desired  was  more  than  I  could  say.  After 
the  little  contretemps  which  followed  my  mis- 
take, already  described,  Nikola  and  I  had 
agreed  fairly  well  together.  I  was  aware, 
however,  that  he  was  suspicious  of  my  in- 
timacy with  the  old  Don's  great-granddaugh- 
ter; and  from  the  way  in  which  he  glanced  at 
the  patient  and  the  various  instruments  when- 
ever he  relieved  me  in  the  sick-room,  I  could 
tell  that  he  was  always  anxious  to  satisfy  him- 


DR.   NIKOLVS  EXPERIMENT. 


211 


self  that  I  had  not  done  anything  to  prejudice 
the  work  he  had  in  hand.  It  may  easily  be 
supposed,  therefore,  that  our  partnership  was 
far  from  being  as  pleasant  as  it  had  promised 
in  London  to  be.  To  live  in  an  atmosphere 
of  continual  suspicion  is  unpleasant  at  any 
time,  but  it  becomes  doubly  so  when  an- 
other's happiness  depends  in  a  very  large 
measure  upon  it.  Of  course,  the  reason  was 
apparent  to  me;  but  there  must  have  been 
something  more  in  Nikola's  mind  than  I 
could  fathom,  for  I  think  I  can  assert  most 
truthfully  that  never  for  a  moment  did  I  allow 
an  effort  to  be  wanting  on  my  part  to  show 
how  much  I  had  his  interest  at  heart.  There 
was  yet  another  thing  which  puzzled  me.  It 
was  this — what  was  to  happen  when  the  re- 
quired result  had  been  achieved,  and  the  old 
Don  was  transformed  into  a  young  man 
again?  And  more  important  still,  what 
would  become  of  his  great-granddaughter? 
The  whole  thing  seemed  so  absurd — so  un- 
natural, if  you  Hke  it  better — that  I  could  see 
no  proper  conclusion  to  it.  Still  there  was 
time  to  talk  of  that  later  on.     The  old  Don 


^m 


iMniirMiTi"--iTrr-ii  ■ 


I' 


1.'  I! 


Hit'* 


,11: 


■\    1 


i    (■ 


r 


212 


DR.    NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


was  already,  I  am  prepared  to  admit,  in  a  cer- 
tain sense,  younger;  that  is  to  say,  he  did  not 
present  that  appearance  of  great  age  which 
had  been  noticeable  on  board  the  Dona  Mer- 
cedes; at  the  same  time  he  was  still  very  far 
from  being  a  young  man. 

One  day  I  found  sufficient  courage  to 
speak  on  this  point  to  Nikola. 

**  That  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
points  in  my  i.gument,"  he  answered.  ''  If 
he  were  to  change  his  state  so  quickly,  I 
should  despair  of  success.  As  it  is,  I  am  more 
than  hopeful,  I  am  sanguine.  To-morrow, 
if  he  continues  to  progress  so  favourably,  we 
shall  enter  upon  the  third  stage  of  the  experi- 
ment. Granted  that  is  successful,  I  shall  be 
within  measurable  distance  of  the  greatest 
medical  discovery  of  this  or  any  other  cen- 
tury." 

Knowing  it  was  useless  attempting  to 
question  him  further,  I  was  compelled  to  pos- 
sess my  soul  in  patience  until  the  time  should 
arrive  for  him  to  enligh.en  me.  The  follow- 
ing morning,  as  soon  as  I  had  finished  my 
period  of  duty  in  the  Don's  chamber,  I  in- 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


213 


formed  Nikola  of  my  intention  of  going  for  a 
short  stroll.  The  time,  he  had  decided,  was 
not  ripe  yet  for  the  third  phase;  and  as  I 
knew  that  I  should  be  kept  closely  employed 
as  soon  as  it  was,  I  was  anxious  to  obtain  as 
much  exercise  as  possible  while  I  had  the  op- 
portunity. Accordingly,  I  placed  my  hat 
upon  my  head  and  descended  to  the  court- 
yard. Strangely  enough  it  was  the  first  time 
I  had  set  foot  in  it  since  our  arrival  at  the  Cas- 
tle. It  was  an  exquisite  morning  for  walk- 
ing, and  the  sky  was  blue  overhead,  a  brisk 
breeze  was  blowing,  and  when  I  had  crossed 
the  drawbridge  and  looked  down  into  the  lit- 
tle bay  where  the  waves  rolled  in  and  broke 
with  a  noise  like  thunder  upon  the  beach,  I 
felt  happier  than  I  had  been  for  some  consid- 
erable time  past.  I  watched  the  white  gulls 
wheeling  above  my  head,  and  as  I  did  so  the 
recollection  of  the  time  when  I  had  last  seen 
them  rose  before  my  mind's  eye.  It  was  the 
day  that  I  had  come  so  near  speaking  words 
of  love  to  Dofia  Consuelo  upon  the  battle- 
ments. I  remembered  the  look  I  had  seen 
on  her  sweet  face,  and  as  I  did  so  I  realized 


iTTOT^aasiarahrr.-.  --^- 


214 


DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


V; 


how  much  she  was  to  me.  With  a  light  step 
and  a  feeling  of  elation  in  my  heart,  I  made 
my  way  down  the  path  towards  the  beach. 
Not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen,  for  I  remembered 
having  heard  Nikola  say  that  the  yacht  had 
gone  south  for  stores.  Reaching  the  water's 
edge,  I  stood  and  looked  back  at  the  Castle. 
It  was  a  sombre  enough  place  in  all  con- 
science, and  yet  there  was  something  about  it 
now  which  affected  me  in  a  manner  I  can 
scarcely  describe.  I  looked  at  it  for  a  few 
moments,  and  then,  turning  my  back  upon  it, 
I  set  oflf  along  the  beach  at  a  brisk  pace,  whist- 
ling gaily  as  I  went.  Eventually  I  reached 
the  further  side  of  the  bay  opposite  that  on 
which  the  Castle  was  situated.  Here  the 
sand  gave  place  to  large  rocks,  which  in  their 
turn  terminated  in  a  tall  headland.  The  view 
from  these  rocks  was  grand  in  the  extreme. 
Night  and  day  the  rollers  of  the  North  Sea 
broke  upon  them,  throwing  showers  of  spray 
high  into  the  air.  Clambering  up,  I  strug- 
gled for  fifty  yards  or  so,  and  finally  seating 
myself  upon  a  rock  somewhat  larger  than  the 
rest,  prepared  to  enjoy  the  view.     A  surprise 


j;;B;ijaH5;j-S^-;j! 


Dk;.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


215 


was  in  store  for  me.  Looking  back  upon  the 
way  I  had  come,  I  caught  sight  of  a  figure 
walking  towards  me  on  the  sands.  Need- 
less to  say,  it  was  the  Dofia  Consuelo. 
Whether  she  was  aware  of  my  presence  upon 
the  rocks,  I  cannot  say;  I  only  know  that  as 
soon  as  I  saw  her  I  rose  from  where  I  was  sit- 
ting and  hastened  to  meet  her.  How  beauti- 
ful she  looked,  and  how  her  face  lighted  up 
as  I  came  closer,  are  things  which  I  must 
leave  to  the  imagination  of  my  reader. 

"  You  are  further  abroad  than  usual  to- 
day, are  you  not?  "  I  said,  as  we  shook  hands. 

"  Might  I  not  say  the  same  of  you?  "  she 
answered  with  a  smile.  "  The  morning  was 
so  beautiful  that  I  could  not  remain  in  that 
terrible  old  building.  Every  corner  seems  to 
suggest  unhappy  memories  to  me." 

"  Do  you  really  think  all  the  memories 
connected  with  it  will  be  unpleasant?  "  I  in- 
quired. 

She  looked  up  at  me  in  a  little  startled 
way,  and  blushed  divinely  as  she  did  so. 

"  Could  you  expect  me  to  regard  the  time 
I  have  spent  in  it  with  any  sort  of  pleasure?  " 


2l6 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'.•ill    •  : 


she  inquired,  fencing  with  my  meaning,  and 
giving  me  a  Roland  for  an  Oliver.  **  Only 
think  what  I  have  suffered  in  it!  " 

By  this  time  we  were  strolling  back  to- 
gether towards  the  rocks  I  have  already  de- 
scribed. The  beach  at  this  point  narrowed 
considerably,  and  for  some  reason  or  another 
we  walked  a  little  nearer  the  cliff  than  I  had 
done.  Suddenly  my  companion  stopped, 
and,  pointing  to  the  sand,  said: — 

"  You  had  a  companion  this  morning?  " 

"I?  I  had  no  companion,"  I  answered. 
"  What  makes  you  think  so?  " 

"  Look  here,"  she  said,  and  as  she  spoke 
she  pointed  to  some  footmarks  on  the  sand 
before  us.  "  As  you  went  up  the  beach  you 
walked  near  the  water's  edge,  and  as  you  came 
to  meet  me  you  passed  midway  between  your 
former  tracks  and  the  cliff.  If  you  did  not 
have  a  companion,  whose  footprints  are  these? 
They  must  have  been  made  this  morning,  for, 
as  you  are  aware,  when  the  tide  is  full,  it 
comes  right  up  to  the  cliffs,  and  would  be 
certain  to  wash  out  anything  that  existed  be- 
fore." 


:i    ! 


DR.  NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


217 


I  Stooped  and  examined  the  tracks  care- 
fully before  I  answered.  They  were  evidently 
those  of  a  man,  and  from  the  fact  that  the 
sand  was  hard  the  outline  could  be  plainly  dis- 
tinguished. The  foot  that  was  responsible 
for  them  was  a  large  one,  and  must  have  been 
clad  in  an  exceedingly  clumsy  boot. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think  of  it,"  I  said. 
"  One  thing,  however,  is  quite  certain;  I  had 
no  companion  this  morning.  What  about 
the  old  man  and  his  wife  at  the  Castle?  " 

"  I  happen  to  know  that  they  have  both 
been  hard  at  work  all  the  morning,"  she  an- 
swered. "  Besides,  what  object  could  they 
have  in  following  you?  The  beach  leads  no- 
where, and  from  here  to  yonder  point  there  is 
no  place  where  you  can  reach  the  land  above." 

I  shook  my  head.  The  problem  was  too 
much  for  me.  At  the  same  time  I  must  own 
it  disquieted  me  strangely.  Who  was  this 
mysterious  person  who  had  dogged  my  foot- 
steps? and  what  could  have  been  his  object 
in  following  me?  For  a  moment  I  inclined  to 
the  belief  that  it  might  have  been  Dr.  Nikola, 
who  was  anxious  to  discover  how  I  spent  my 


2l8 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'  •'  ■  'i 


,i^ 


leisure.  But  on  second  thoughts  the  absurd- 
ity of  the  idea  became  apparent  to  me.  But 
if  it  were  not  Nikola,  who  could  it  have  been? 

On  reaching  the  rocks,  we  seated  our- 
selves, and  fell  to  criticising  the  picture  spread 
out  before  our  gaze.  There  was  something  in 
my  companion's  manner  this  morning  which, 
analyse  it  as  I  would,  I  could  not  understand. 
She  was  by  turns  light-hearted  and  sad;  the 
two  expressions  chased  each  other  across  her 
face  like  clouds  across  an  April  sky.  At  last 
she  returned  to  the  topic  which  I  knew  must 
come  sooner  or  later — that  of  her  great- 
grandfather's condition. 

**  I  seem  cut  off  from  him  for  ever,"  she 
said  with  infinite  sadness.  **  I  hear  nothing  of 
him  from  week's  end  to  week's  end,  and  I  see 
nothing  of  him.  He  is  gone  completely  out 
of  my  life." 

"  But  only  for  the  time  being,"  I  an- 
swered. "  Dr.  Nikola  has  assured  you  that 
he  will  restore  him  to  health  and  strength. 
Think  what  that  w^'ll  mean,  and  how  happy 
you  will  be  together  then." 

"I  know  it  is  very  wrong  of  me  to  say 


DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


219 


SO,"  she  continued;  "but  I  cannot  keep  it 
back.  Dr.  Ingleby — I  distrust  Dr.  Nikola. 
He  is  deceiving  me;  of  that  I  feel  sure." 

Knowing  what  I  did,  I  could  not  contra- 
dict her;  but  I  saw  my  opportunity,  and  act- 
ed upon  it. 

•*  But  if  you  do  not  trust  Dr.  Nikola,"  I 
said,  "  am  I  to  suppose  vhat  you  do  not  trust 
me?  " 

She  was  silent,  and  I  noticed  that  she 
turned  her  face  away  from  me,  as  if  she  were 
anxious  to  study  the  Castle  and  the  cliff. 
What  was  more,  I  noticed  that  her  hand 
trembled  a  little  as  it  rested  on  the  rock  be- 
side me. 

Once  more  I  put  the  question,  and  as  I 
did  so,  I  leant  a  little  towards  her. 

"  I  do  trust  you,"  she  answered,  but  so 
softly  that  I  could  scarcely  hear  it. 

"  Consuelo,"  I  said,  in  a  voice  but  little 
louder  than  that  in  which  she  had  addressed 
me,  "  you  cannot  think  what  happiness  it  is 
to  me  to  hear  you  say  that.  As  I  have  tried 
to  show  you,  there  is  nothing  I  would  not  do 
to  prove  how  anxious  I  am  to  be  worthy  of 


220 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


M     ■•    -I    , 


your  trust.  We  have  known  each  other  but 
little  longer  than  a  month.  In  that  time, 
however,  I  have  learnt  to  know  you  as  well 
as  any  man  could  know  a  woman.  I  have 
learnt  more  than  that,  Consuelo;  I  have 
learnt  to  love  you  better  than  life  itself." 

"  No,  no,"  she  answered,  **  you  must  not 
say  that.     I  cannot  hear  you." 

"  But  it  must  be  said,"  I  answered.  "  My 
love  will  not  be  denied.  You  do  love  me, 
Consuelo;  I  can  see  it  in  your  face.  Don't 
you  think  that  I  watched  and  longed  for  it?  " 

Instead  of  turning  her  face  to  me,  she 
turned  it  still  further  from  me. 

I  took  her  little  hand  in  mine. 

"  What  is  your  answer,  Consuelo? "  I 
asked.     "  Be  brave  uud  tell  me,  darling." 

"  If  I  were  brave,  she  said,  "  I  should  tell 
you  that  what  you  ask  must  never  be.  That 
it  is  hopeless — impossible.  That  it  would  be 
madness  for  us  to  think  of  such  a  thing.  But 
I  am  not  brave.  T  am  so  lonely  in  the  world, 
and  have  lost  so  much,  that  I  cannot  lose  you 
also." 

"  Then  you  love  me,"  I  cried,  in  such 


i  I' 

'    r  .    I  '        - 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


2<?1 


triumph  as  I  had  never  felt  for  anything  else 
in  my  life  before.  "  Thank  God,  thank  God 
for  that!" 

"  Yes,  I  love  you,"  she  answered;  and  the 
great  waves  breaking  on  the  rocks  seemed  to 
echo  the  happiness  we  both  were  feeling. 

Over  the  next  half-hour  I  must  draw  a 
veil.  By  the  end  of  that  time  it  was  neces- 
sary for  me  to  think  of  returning  to  the  Cas- 
tle. Isjikola's  watch  would  be  up  in  an  hour, 
and  I  knew  it  would  not  do  for  me  to  keep 
him  waiting.  I  said  as  much  to  Consuelo, 
and  we  immediately  rose  and  set  out  on  our 
return.  As  I  walked  beside  her,  I  would  not 
have  changed  position  with  any  living  man, 
so  happy  was  I.  My  peace  of  mind,  however, 
was  destined  to  be  but  short-lived.  We  had 
crossed  the  greater  number  of  the  rocks,  and 
were  approaching  the  sand  once  more,  when 
I  received  a  shock  which  I  shall  not  forget  as 
long  as  I  can  remember  anything.  Clamber- 
ing over  the  sharp  and  slippery  rocks  was  by 
no  means  an  easy  business.  It  was,  however, 
delightful  to  hold  my  sweetheart's  hand  in 

the  pretence  of  assisting  her.     Occasionally  it 
X5 


222 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


became  necessary  for  us  to  make  considerable 
detours,  and  once  I  bade  her  remain  where 
she  was  until  I  had  climbed  a  somewhat  big- 
ger rock  than  usual  in  order  to  find  out 
whether  we  could  proceed  that  way.  I  had 
reached  the  top,  and  was  about  to  extend  my 
hand  to  her  assistance,  when  something 
caused  me  to  look  behind  me.  Judge  of  my 
surprise  and  consternation  at  finding,  in  the 
hollow  below  me,  a  man  crouching  on  the 
sand,  watching  me.  It  was  the  Chinaman  I 
had  seen  on  board  the  Dona  Mercedes,  the  man 
who  had  thrown  the  knife  which  had  so  nearly 
terminated  Nikola's  existence.  How  I  man- 
aged to  retain  my  presence  of  mind  at  that 
trying  moment,  I  find  it  difficult  now  to 
understand.  I  only  know  this,  that  I  realized 
in  a  flash  the  fact  that  it  would  be  madness  to 
pretend  to  have  seen  him.  Accordingly,  I 
stood  for  a  moment  looking  out  to  sea,  and 
then  with  a  laugh  that  must  have  sounded  far 
from  natural,  I  rejoined  Consuelo  on  the  rock 
below  and  chose  another  path  towards  the 
sands. 

"What    is    the    matter? "    she    inquired 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


223 


when  we  had  proceeded  a  short   distance. 
"  Your  face  is  quite  pale." 

"  I  did  not  feel  very  well  for  a  moment,"  I 
answered,  making  use  of  the  first  excuse  that 
occurred  to  me. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  not  telling  me  the 
truth,"  she  answered.  "  I  feel  convinced 
something  has  frightened  you.  Can  you  not 
trust  me?  " 

Under  the  circumstances  I  thought  it 
would  be  better  for  me  to  make  a  clean  breast 
of  it. 

"  I  will  trust  you,"  I  answered.  "  The 
fact  of  the  matter  is,  I  have  discovered  an  ex- 
planation for  the  footsteps  you  pointed  out 
to  me  upon  the  beach.  We  are  being  fol- 
lowed. When  I  jumped  on  the  top  of  that 
rock,  I  found  a  man  lying  on  the  other  side 
of  it." 

"  A  man?  Who  could  he  have  been,  and 
why  should  he  be  spying  upon  us.'*  Did  you 
recognipe  him?  " 

"  Perfectly;  I  should  have  known  him 
anywhere." 

"  Then  who  was  he?  " 


ti 


f 


t' 


W  ' 


224 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


(< 


The  Chinaman  we  saw  on  board  the 
steamer.  The  man  who  stole  the  drugs 
Nikola  entrusted  to  my  care." 

"  Do  you  mean  the  man  who  entered  my 
cabin  and  bent  over  to  look  at  me?  "  she  cried 
in  alarm. 

I  nodded,  and  threw  a  quick  glance  back 
over  my  shoulder  to  discover  whether  we 
were  still  being  followed.  I  could  see  noth- 
ing, however,  of  the  man;  a  circumstance 
which  by  no  means  allayed  my  anxiety. 

"  What  do  you  think  we  had  better  do?  " 
inquired  Consuelo. 

"  Hasten  home  as  fast  as  we  can  go,  and 
tell  Nikola,"  I  answered.  "  It  is  imperative 
he  should  know  at  once." 

We  accordingly  continued  our  walk  at 
increased  speed,  every  now  ana  then  throw- 
ing apprehensive  glances  behind  us.  It  is 
possible  some  of  my  readers  may  regard  it  as 
an  exhibition  of  cowardice  on  my  part  to  have 
sought  refuge  in  flight;  but  when  all  the  cir- 
cumstances connected  with  it  are  taken  into 
consideration,  I  am  sure  ever>'  fait-minded 
person  will  acquit  me  of  this  charge.     Had  I 


DR.  NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


225 


been  alone,  it  is  possible  I  might  have  turned 
and  risked  an  encounter  with  the  man;  but 
Consuelo  being  with  me  rendered  such  a 
course  impossible.  For  the  first  time  since 
we  had  known  it,  the  grim  old  Castle,  perched 
up  on  the  cliffs,  seemed  a  desirable  place,  and 
it  was  with  a  feeling  of  profound  relief  that  I 
led  my  sweetheart  across  the  drawbridge,  and 
was  able  to  tell  myself  that,  for  the  time  being 
at  least,  she  was  safe.  On  reaching  the  hall, 
I  found  that  I  had  still  twenty  minutes  to 
spare.  I  had  no  desire,  however,  for  further 
leisure.  What  I  wanted  was  to  see  Nikola 
at  once  in  order  to  tell  him  my  unpalatable 
news. 

On  entering  the  room,  I  found  him  en- 
gaged in  taking  the  old  man's  temperature. 
He  looked  up  at  me  as  if  he  were  surprised  to 
see  me  return  so  soon,  but  said  nothing  until 
he  had  finished  the  work  upon  which  he  was 
engaged. 

"  I  can  see  from  your  face  that  you  have 
had  a  fright,  and  that  you  hav»„  something  to 
say  to  me  concerning  it,"  he  began,  when  he 
had  returned  the  thermometer  to  its  case. 


< 


m 


p't 


la 


226 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


"  Our  friend  Qoung  Ma  has  turned  up  again, 
I  suppose?  " 

**  How  did  you  know  it?  "  I  asked:  for  I 
had  no  idea  that  he  was  aware  of  the  man's 
appearance  in  the  neighbourhood. 

**  I  guessed  it,"  he  answered,  with  one  of 
his  peculiar  smiles.  "  You  are  the  possessor 
of  a  most  expressive  countenance.  Consider 
for  a  moment,  and  you  will  understand  how  it 
is  I  am  able  to  arrive  at  a  conclusion  so  quick- 
ly. In  the  first  place,  you  have  been  for  a 
walk  with  the  young  'ady  whom  you  love 
and  who  loves  you  in  return." 

"  Perhaps  you  saw  me,"  I  replied  sharply, 
feeling  myself  blushing  to  the  roots  of  my 
hair. 

"  I  have  not  left  this  room,"  he  answered. 
**  There  is  a  long  black  hair  on  your  collar, 
which  would  not  have  been  there  if  you  had 
spent  your  liberty  by  yourself.  The  same 
thing  tells  me  that  you  love  her,  and  she  loves 
vou.  As  for  the  other  matter,  the  caretaker 
and  his  wife  have  been  busily  employed  in  the 
Castle  all  the  morning,  while  Ah-Win  never 
leaves    his    own    portion    of    the    premises. 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


227 


There  is  only  one  person  outside  the  walls 
who  could  have  put  that  expression  into  your 
face,  and  that  person  is  Quong  Ma.  Am  I 
right?" 

"  Quite  right,"  I  replied.  "  He  followed 
me  along  the  sands,  and  hid  himself  among 
the  rocks.  In  recrossing  them  from  the 
point,  I,  as  nearly  as  possible,  jumped  on 
him." 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  did  not  quite  do  so," 
he  answered.  "  Had  you  experienced  that 
misfortune,  you  would  not  have  been  here  to 
tell  the  tale.  But  enough  of  him  for  the  pres- 
ent. Take  your  place  here  and  watch  our  pa- 
tient. In  an  hour's  time  his  temperature 
should  have  risen  two  points.  When  it  has 
done  so,  give  him  ten  drops  of  this  fluid  in 
twenty  drops  of  distilled  water.  A  profuse 
perspiration  should  result,  which  will  herald 
the  return  of  consciousness  and  the  new  life. 
In  twenty-four  hours  he  should  not  only  be 
conscious,  but  on  his  way  to  the  commence- 
ment of  his  second  youth;  in  forty-eight  the 
improvement  should  be  firmly  established; 
while  in  a  week  we  should  have  him  on  his 


228 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


:  '  « 


'J 


^,M 


MM 


^^'H'l;  .',i 


legs,  a  living,  moving,  thinking  man,  and  of 
my  own  creation.  Watch  him,  therefore, 
and  whatever  happeiiS  do  not  leave  this  room. 
Meanwhile,  I  will  have  the  drawbridge  raised, 
and  if  Quong  Ma  can  leap  the  chasm,  and 
make  his  way  into  the  Castle,  well,  all  I  can 
say  is,  he  is  a  cleverer  man  than  I  take  him 
to  be." 

With  that,  Nikola  left  me,  and  I  sat  down 
to  watch  beside  the  aged  Don.  Apart  from 
my  duty  towards  him,  I  had  plenty  to  think 
about,  and  over  and  over  again  I  found  my- 
self recalling  the  incidents  of  the  morning. 
Consuelo  loved  me,  and  happen  what  might  I 
would  prove  myself  worthy  of  her  love.  At 
the  end  of  the  hour,  as  Nikola  had  predicted, 
the  patient's  temperature  had  risen  two 
points.  I  accordingly  measured  out  the 
stipulated  quantity  of  the  medicine  he  had 
placed  in  readiness  for  me,  added  the  neces- 
sary quantity  of  water,  and  poured  it  into  the 
old  man's  mouth.  Then  I  sat  myself  down 
to  wait.  Slowly  the  hands  of  the  clock  upon 
the  wall  went  round,  and  sixty  minutes  later, 
just  as  Nikola  had  prophesied,  small  beads  of 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


229 


perspiration  made  their  appearance  upon  his 
forehead.  It  was  an  exciting  moment,  and 
one  for  which  we  had  been  eagerly  waiting.  I 
immediately  rang  the  bell  for  Nikola,  and 
upon  his  arrival  informed  him  of  the  fact.     ' 

"  At  last,  at  last,"  he  whispered.  "  It  is 
certain  now  that  I  have  made  no  mistake. 
From  this  moment  forward  his  progress 
should  be  assured.  In  a  week  you  will  be  re- 
warded by  a  sight  such  as  the  eye  of  man  has 
never  yet  seen.  Be  faithful  to  me,  Ingleby, 
and  I  pledge  my  word  your  future  with  the 
woman  you  love  is  assured." 

For  the  remainder  of  that  day  and,  indeed, 
until  eleven  o'clock  on  the  morning  following, 
there  was  but  iittle  change  in  the  old  Don's 
condition.  The  casual  observer  would  have 
seen  but  little  difference  from  the  day  on 
which  I  had  first  taken  charge  of  him  on  board 
the  steamer.  To  Nikola  and  myself,  however, 
who  had  spent  so  much  time  with  him,  and 
who  had  noted  every  change,  there  was  a  dii- 
ference  so  vast  that  it  seemed  almost  incom- 
prehensible. 

My  watch  next  morning  was  from  four 


230 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


II 


?     ! 


1 

>      I 

ii 

■firf?  '■ 


I  ^ 


o'clock  until  eight.  At  eight  I  breakfasted, 
and  afterwards  repaired  to  the  battlements 
above  in  the  hope  of  meeting  Consuelo.  Since 
Nikola  had  ordered  the  drawbridge  to  be 
raised,  we  had  been  compelled  to  make  this 
our  meeting-place,  and,  as  it  happened,  Con- 
suelo was  first  at  the  rendezvous. 

"  You  have* good  news  for  me,"  she  cried, 
after  I  had  kissed  her.  *'  I  can  see  it  in  your 
face.  What  is  it  ?  Does  it  concern  my  great- 
grandfather? " 

"  It  does,"  I  answered.  "  It  concerns  him 
inasmuch  as  I  am  able  to  tell  you  that  what 
Nikola  promised  you  shoulh  happen  has  in 
reality  come  to  pass.  Everything  has  been 
satisfactory  beyond  our  wildest  hopes." 

"  And  do  you  mean  that  all  need  of  anx- 
iety is  over?  "  she  cried. 

"  I  do  not  mean  that  exactly,"  I  answered. 
"  But  I  think  it  very  possible  we  shall  soon 
be  able  to  say  so.  Nikola  is  certainly  the 
most  wonderful  man  upon  this  earth." 

What  she  said  in  reply  it  would  be  vanity 
on  my  part  to  rec  .11,  and  would  be  only  an- 
other instance  of  the  folly  of  lovers'  talk. 


DR.  NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


231 


Let  it  suffice  that  for  upwards  of  an  hour  our 
converse  was  of  the  sweetest  description. 
Hand  in  hand  we  sat  upon  the  battlements, 
looking  out  across  the  sunlit  sea,  and  building 
our  castles  in  the  air.  We  were  interrupted 
by  Ah-Win,  who  suddenly  made  his  appear- 
ance before  us  and  beckoned  me  to  follow 
him. 

Bidding  Consuelo  good-bye,  I  followed 
the  fellow  to  the  hall,  where  he  pointed  to  the 
old  Don's  ^oom  and  left  me.  I  found  Nikola 
in  a  state  ^    the  wildest  excitement. 

"  I  sent  for  you  because  the  crisis  is  close 
at  hand,"  he  whispered.  "  At  any  moment 
now  I  may  know  my  fate.  Little  by  I'ttle  I 
have  built  up  this  worn-out  frame,  strengthen- 
ing, renewing,  revivifying,  and  now  the  ob- 
ject of  my  ambition  is  almost  achieved.  A 
thousand  years  ago  the  secret  was  guessed  by 
a  certain  sect  in  Asia.  After  working  a  hun- 
dred years  or  more  upon  it  they  at  length 
perfected  it.  But  by  the  law  of  their  order 
only  one  man  was  permitted  to  derive  any 
benefit  from  it.  I  obtained  their  secret 
— how  it  does  not  matter,  added  to  it  what 


i 


233 


t)R.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


U:, 


f    I  ,-')'  !! 


I   thought   it   lacked,   and   here   is  the   re- 
sult." 

As  he  spoke  a  visible  tremor  ran  over  the 
form  on  the  bed  before  us.  The  excitement 
was  well-nigh  unbearable.  For  the  first 
time  in  more  than  thirty  days  movement  was 
to  be  detected,  the  eyelids  flickered,  the 
mouth  twitched,  and  little  by  little  the  eyes 
opened.  Nikola  immediately  stooped  over 
him,  and  concentrated  all  his  attention  upon 
the  pupils.  Then  placing  his  finger-tips  so 
close  that  they  almost  touched  the  lashes,  he 
drew  them  away  again  in  long  transverse 
passes. 

"  Do  you  know  me?  "  he  asked,  in  a  voice 
that  shook  with  emotion.    Almost  instantly 
the  man  replied: — 
I  know  you." 
Do  you  suffer  any  pain?  " 

"I  do  not." 

"  Sleep  then,  rest  and  gain  strength,  and 
in  two  days  from  this  hour  wake  again  a 
strong  man." 

Once  more  he  placed  his  hands  before  the 
patient's  eyes,  and  as  he  drew  them  away  the 


tt 


n 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


233 


lids  closed.  Nikola  bent  over  him  and  lis- 
tened, and  when  he  rose  he  nodded  reassur- 
ingly to  me. 

"  It  is  all  right,"  he  said.  **  His  respira- 
tion is  as  even  and  unbroken  as  that  of  a  sleep- 
ing child." 

As  usual,  my  watch  that  night  was  from 
eight  o'clock  until  midnight.  From  the  fact 
that  Don  Miguel  continued  to  sleep  as  quiet- 
ly as  at  the  moment  when  Nikola  had  hypno- 
tized him,  it  was  neither  as  difficult  nor  as 
anxious  as  before.  Nor  was  I  altogether  dis- 
contented with  my  lot.  I  was  in  love,  and  was 
loved  in  my  turn;  I  was  engaged  in  deeply  in- 
teresting employment  which,  should  the  ex- 
periment terminate  successfully,  would  in  all 
probability  ensure  my  being  able  to  start  for 
a  second  time  in  my  profession,  and  with  an 
added  knowledge  that  would  bri*?g  me  to  the 
top  of  the  tree  at  once.  The  room  in  which 
I  sat  was  warm  and  comfortable;  outside, 
however,  a  violent  s  :orm  was  raging.  The 
rain  and  wind  beat  against  the  window  in  the 
hall  with  wildest  fury.  Now,  ever  since  I  had 
watched  by  the  Don's  bedside,  I  had  made  it 


234 


DR.    NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


'-:* 


3  m 


1 1 


my  habit  to  carefully  lock  the  door  as  soon  as 
Nikola  had  left  the  room.  On  this  particular 
occasion  I  had  not  departed  from  my  custom. 
The  hands  of  the  clock  on  the  wall  stood  at 
ten  minutes  past  eleven,  and  I  was  reflecting 
that  I  should  not  be  sorry  when  my  watch  was 
over,  and  I  at  Hberty  to  retire  to  bed,  when 
to  my  astonishment  I  saw  the  handle  of  the 
door  slowly  turn.  At  first  I  almost  believed 
that  my  imagination  was  playing  me  a  trick; 
but  when  the  handle  revolved  and  was  after- 
wards turned  again,  I  was  satisfied  that  this 
was  not  the  case.  Who  was  the  person  on 
the  other  side?  It  would  not  be  Ah-Win,  for 
the  reason  that  he  had  been  particularly  in- 
structed on  no  account  ever  to  touch  the 
door;  Consuelo  would  not  venture  into  that 
portion  of  the  Castle  again  on  any  considera- 
tion whatsoever;  while  Nikcia  himself,  being 
aware  that  I  always  kept  it  locked,  would  have 
knocked  before  attempting  to  enter.  Who- 
ever it  was  must  have  been  satisfied  that  the 
task  was  a  hopeless  one.  At  any  rate  he  de- 
sisted, and  I  heard  no  more  of  him.  A  few 
moments  later  the  ventilator  required  my  at- 


if 


'■Hi 


DR.   NIKOLAS   EXPERIMKNT. 


235 


tention,  and  I  was  too  busy  to  bestow  any 
more  thought  upon  the  matter.  Indeed,  it 
was  not  until  Nikola  knocked  upon  the  door 
and  relieved  me  that  it  entered  my  mind 
again.  It  became  apparent  immediately  that 
he  attached  more  importance  to  the  incident 
than  I  was  inclined  to  do. 

"  It's  very  strange,"  he  said,  "  but  it  ac- 
counts  for  one  thing  which  I  must  confess  has 
puzzled  me." 

"What  is  that?"  I  inquired.       , 

"  I  will  shov  you,"  he  answered,  and  led 
the  way  to  the  hall.  At  the  further  end,  near 
the  window,  he  paused  and  pointed  to  a  mark 
upon  the  floor.  Not  being  able  to  see  it  very 
distinctly,  I  went  down  upon  my  hands  and 
knees. 

Do  you  know  what  it  is?  "  asked  Nikola. 
I  do,"  I  answered.     "  It  is  the  print  of 
a  naked  foot." 

"  Yes,"  said  Nikola,  "  and  that  foot  was 
wet.  It  was  more  than  that."  Here  he  took 
a  magnifying  glass  from  his  pocket,  and  also 
went  down  upon  his  hands  and  knees.  "  The 
chimney  leading  from  Ah-Win's  room,"  he 


<( 


(( 


1' 


236 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


I  f 


'Ji 


hi 


li 


!  I 


- 


said,  "  is  almost  exactly  above  our  heads. 
In  consequence,  as  you  may  have  noticed,  the 
battlements  at  that  point  are  invariably  cov- 
ered with  smuts.  The  naked  foot  which 
made  this  mark  brought  some  of  these  parti- 
cles with  it,  which  tells  us  that  there  was  only 
one  way  in  which  the  owner  could  have  come, 
and  that  was  down  a  rope  and  through  the 
window.     Let  us  examine  the  window." 

We  did  so,  but  so  far  as  I  could  see  there 
was  nothing  there  to  reward  us.  The  rain 
was  pelting  down,  and  the  wind  blew  as  I  had 
never  heard  it  do  before. 

"  The  man,  whoever  he  was,  was  certainly 
not  deficient  in  pluck,"  said  Nikola.  "  I 
shouldn't  have  cared  to  lower  myself  over  the 
battlements  on  a  night  like  this," 

"  Are  you  sure  that  he  did  so  lower  him- 
self? "  I  inquired. 

"  I  am  quite  sure,"  Nikola  answered. 
'*  How  else  could  he  have  come?  The  old 
Don  is  safe  for  half  an  hour  at  least ;  get  your 
revolver,  I  will  get  mine,  and  we  will  go  up 
stairs  in  search  of  the  intruder." 

I  did  as  he  directed,  but  with  no  great 


iij 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


237 


willingness.  As  you  may  suppose,  I  was 
quite  convinced  as  to  the  identity  of  the  mys- 
terious visitor;  and  knowing  his  proficiency 
in  the  art  of  knife-throwing,  I  had  not  the 
smallest  desire  to  become  better  acquainted 
with  him.  However,  I  was  not  going  to  al- 
low Nikola  to  think  I  was  afraid;  so  putting 
the  best  face  I  could  upon  it,  I  did  as  he  di- 
rected, and  having  assured  myself  that  my 
weapon  was  loaded  in  every  chamber,  fol- 
lowed him  along  the  corndor,  up  the  stone 
staircase,  and  so  out  on  to  the  battlements 
above.  Of  all  the  storms  in  my  experience,  I 
think  that  particular  one  was  certainly  the 
worst.  The  rain  beat  in  our  faces,  and  so 
great  was  the  strength  of  the  wind  that  the 
very  castle  itself  seemed  to  shake  and  tremble 
before  it.  Revolver  in  hand,  expecting  every 
moment  to  be  confronted  by  the  man  of 
whom  we  were  in  search,  I  followed  Nikola  in 
the  direction  of  the  engine-room  chimney.  I 
knew  very  well  for  what  he  was  looking.  He 
thought  he  would  find  a  rope  there,  but  in 
this  he  was  disappointed.     Nor  were  we  able 

to  discover  any  traces  of  human  beings.     V/e 
16 


■  'I 

I 


i 


238 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


i^ 


searched  the  whole  length  of  the  battlements 
in  vain,  and  at  last  were  perforc*  compelled  to 
give  up  the  hunt  as  hopeless.  Returning  to 
the  stairway  once  more,  we  were  about  to  de- 
scend, when  I  saw  Nikola  stoop  and  pick 
something  up.  Whatever  it  was,  he  said 
nothing  to  me  until  we  had  reached  the  light 
of  the  corridor  below.  Then  he  held  it  up  for 
me  to  see.  It  was  a  grey  felt  hat,  the  same 
that  I  had  seen  upon  the  Chinaman's  head 
that  morning. 

"  Mark  my  words,"  said  Nikola,  "  we  shall 
have  trouble,  with  Quong  Ma  before  very 
long." 


i 


n 


!':*     ' 


\i: 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

When  we  had  returned  to  the  corridor  be- 
low the  battlements,  after  our  search  for  the 
man  who  had  lowered  himself  down  to  the 
window  of  the  hall,  Nikola  brought  with  him 
the  soft  felt  hat  I  had  observed  upon  the  head 
of  that  villainous  Chinaman,  Quong  Ma,  that 
morning.  Though  neither  of  us  was  altoge- 
ther surprised  at  finding  that  he  was  the  man 
we  suspected  of  being  in  the  Castle,  we  were 
none  the  more  pleased  at  having  our  sus- 
picions confirmed.  The  thing  which  puzzled 
us  most,  however,  was  how  he  had  obtained 
admission,  seeing  that  he  had  not  been  in 
sight  when  I  had  entered  the  Castle  that 
morning,  that  I  had  informed  Nikola  of  my 
meeting  with  him  within  five  minutes  of  my 
arrival,  and  that  the  drawbridge  had  been 
raised,  if  not  at  once,  certainly  within  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour  of  my  making  my  report.     And 

239 


I 


t*  I 


>m^ 


ai 


{;; 


N,l 


i' ;  - 


, 

'I 
:.: 

■  i 

;l  ■ 

.  ; 

'  1 

"i 

: 

1  M 

i 

1 

i 

1 

1 

240 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


yet  it  was  plain  since  he  had  been  upon  the 
battlements,  that  he  z^^'as  in  the  Castle,  and 
that  his  being  there  boded  no  good  was  as  ap- 
parent as  his  presence. 

"  I  always  knew  they  had  original  ideas," 
said  Nikola,  "  but  I  had  no  idea  they  were  as 
clever  as  this.  We  shall  have  to  be  very  care- 
ful what  we  do  for  the  future;  for  from  what 
I  know  of  them,  they  would  stick  at  nothing. 
To-morrow  morning  we  must  search  the  Cas- 
tle from  dungeon  to  turret." 

"  And  if  we  find  them?  " 

"  In  that  case,"  said  Nikola,  "  I  fancy  I 
know  a  way  of  dealing  with  them.  Dona 
Consuelo  locks  her  door  at  night,  I  suppose?  " 

I  informed  him  that  I  nad  advised  her  to 
do  so. 

"  It  would  be  better  that  we  should  make 
certain,"  he  answered,  and,  proceeding  to  the 
door  in  question,  he  softly  turned  the  handle. 
It  was  securely  fastened  from  the  inside. 

"  It  seems  all  right,"  said  Nikola.  "  Now 
we  will  return  to  our  own  quarters,  and  make 
everything  secure  there." 

We  did  as  suggested,  and  when  every- 


I"l' 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


241 


thing  was  made  fast,  securely  locked  the  door 
in  the  corridor  behind  us.  Reaching  the  hall 
once  more,  we  made  a  careful  survey  of  the 
various  rooms,  including  not  only  the  apart- 
ments leading  out  of  it,  but  also  the  passage 
leading  to  Ah-Win's  quarters.  No  sign,  how- 
ever, of  the  man  we  wanted  was  to  be  seen 
there.  Returning  to  the  hall,  we  assured 
ourselves  that  our  patient  was  still  sleeping 
quietly,  and  then  I  bade  Nikola  good  night, 
and  prepared  to  go  to  my  room.     . 

"  I  should  advise  you  to  lock  your  door," 
he  said,  as  we  parted.  "  You  cannot  take  too 
many  precautions  when  Quong  Ma  and  his 
companion  are  about.  Should  I  require  your 
assistance  during  the  night,  I  will  ring  for 
you." 

I  promised  to  answer  his  call  immediately, 
and  was  about  to  turn  away,  when  it  oc- 
curred to  me  to  ask  him  a  question  to  which 
he  had  promised  me  an  answer  upwards  of  a 
month  before. 

"  On  the  night  that  we  left  Newcastle,"  I 
said,  "  you  were  kind  enough  to  say  that 
when    a    fitting    opportunity    occurred    you 


I 


'i'l 


l:A 


■  r 


242 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


would  tell  me  what  has  induced  these  men  to 
follow  you  as  they  are  doing." 

"  There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not 
hear  it,"  Nikola  replied.  "  To  tell  it  in 
full,  however,  would  be  too  long  a  story,  but 
I  will  briefly  summarize  it  for  you.  In  order 
to  obtain  the  information  necessary  for  carry- 
ing out  the  experiment  upon  which  we  are 
now  engaged,  I  penetrated,  as  I  think  I  have 
already  informed  you,  into  a  certain  monas- 
tery situated  in  the  least  known  portion  of 
Thibet.  My  companion  and  I  carried  our 
lives  in  our  hands  if  ever  men  have  done  so 
in  the  history  of  the  world.  The  better  to 
carry  out  my  scheme,  I  might  explain,  I  im- 
personated a  high  official  who  had  lately  been 
elected  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  Order.  At  a 
most  unfortunate  moment  the  fraud  was  dis- 
covered, and  my  companion  and  I  were  or- 
dered to  be  hurled  from  the  roof  of  the  monas- 
tery into  the  precipice  below.  We  managed 
to  escape,  however,  but  not  before  I  had  se- 
cured the  precious  secret  for  which  I  had 
risked  so  much.  The  monks  traced  us  on  our 
journey  back  to  civilization,  and  two  of  the 


I 


DR.  NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


243 


f 


(( 


<( 


Order,  who  have  had  special  experience  in  this 
sort  of  work,  were  detailed  to  follow  us,  in 
the  hope  that  they  might  not  only  regain  pos- 
session of  a  book  which  contained  the  secret, 
but  at  the  same  time  revenge  the  insult  which 
had  been  offered  to  them." 

And  you  still  have  that  book?  " 
Would  you    care    to    see    it?"     asked 
Nikola. 

I  replied  that  I  should  like  to  immensely, 
whereupon  he  retired  to  his  own  apartment 
to  presently  return  bringing  with  him  a  small 
packet,  which  he  placed  upon  the  table.  Un- 
tying the  string  which  bound  it,  and  remov- 
ing a  sheet  of  thin  leather,  he  exposed  to  my 
gaze  a  small  book,  possibly  eight  inches  long 
by  four  wide.  The  materials  in  which  it  was 
bound  were  almost  dropping  apart  with 
age;  the  backs  and  corners,  however,  were 
clamped  with  rusty  iron.  The  interior  was 
filled  with  writing  in  the  Sanskrit  character, 
a  great  deal  of  which  had  faded  and  was 
barely  decipherable.  I  took  it  tenderly  in 
my  hands. 

"And  it  is  to  regain  possession  of  this 


■L.J 


i%  <  'I 


244 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


",« 


book  that  these  men  are  following  you?  "  I 
asked. 

**  To  do  that,'*  he  answered,  **  and  to 
punish  me  for  the  trick  I  played  them.  They 
have  not,  however,  accomplished  their  task 
yet;  nor  shall  they  do  so  if  I  can  help  it.  Let 
me  once  get  hold  of  Quong  Ma,  and  he'll  do 
no  more  mischief  for  some  time  to  come." 

As  Nikola  said  this,  his  great  cat,  which 
for  the  past  few  moments  had  been  sitting 
upon  his  knees,  suddenly  stood  up,  and  plac- 
ing its  forepaws  upon  the  table  scratched  at 
the  cloth.  Nikola  was  watching  my  face,  and 
what  he  saw  there  must  have  considerably 
amused  him. 

"  You  are  thinking  that  Apollyon  and  I 
are  not  unlike.  When  we  get  out  our  claws 
we  are  dangerous.  It  would  be  well  for  our 
Chinese  friend  if  he  understood  as  much. 
Now  you  had  better  be  oflf  to  bed,  and  I  to  my 
watch." 

When  Nikola  relieved  me  at  eight  o'clock 
the  morning  following,  it  was  plain  that  there 
was  something  important  toward. 

"  Get  your  breakfast  as  soon  as  you  can," 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


245 


he  said,  "  and  when  you  have  done,  we  will 
search  the  Castle.  You  heard  nothing  sus- 
picious during  your  watch,  I  suppose?  " 

"  Nothing,"  I  replied.  "  Everything  has 
gone  on  just  as  usual." 

As  soon  as  I  had  finished  my  breakfast, 
Ah-Win  was  summoned,  and  together  we  set 
ofif  on  our  errand.  Beginning  with  the  bat- 
tlements, we  took  the  Castle  corridor  by  cor- 
ridor, floor  by  floor,  examining  every  corner 
and  staircase  in  which  it  would  be  possible  for 
a  human  being  to  hide  himself.  Having  ex- 
hausted the  inhabited  portion  of  the  build- 
ing, we  searched  the  rooms  into  which  no  one 
had  penetrated  from  year's  end  to  year's  end. 
These  we  also  drew  blank.  Then  descending 
another  flight  of  stairs,  we  reached  the  base- 
ment, explored  the  great  kitchens,  once  so 
busy,  and  now  tenanted  only  by  rats  and  bee- 
tles, and  examined  the  various  domestic  of- 
fices, including  the  buttery  and  armoury,  still 
without  success.  If  Quong  Ma  was  in  the 
Castle,  it  looked  as  if  he  must  certainly  pos- 
sess the  power  of  rendering  himself  invisible 
at  will.     At  last  we  reached  the  keep,  where 


246 


DR.    NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


,  ilU 


Hi;: 


the  old  couple  who,  as  Nikola  had  said,  of- 
ficiated as  caretake»*s  during  his  absence,  had 
their  quarters.  At  the  moment  of  our  arrival 
the  woman  was  bitterly  upbraiding  her  hus- 
band for  some  misdeed. 

"  I  tell  'ee,"  she  said,  slapping  the  table 
with  her  hand  to  emphixpize  her  words, 
**  that  when  1  went  to  bed  last  night  they  vit- 
tals  was  in  yonder  cupboard.  What  I  want 
'ee  to  say  is  where  they  be  now?  Don't  'ee 
say  'ee  never  saw  them,  or  that  it  was  the 
cat  as  stole  'em,  for  'ee  may  talk  till  'ee  be 
black  in  the  face  and  I'll  not  believe  'ee.  Cats 
don't  turn  handles  and  undo  latches,  and  mut- 
ton don't  walk  out  of  the  front  door  on  its 
own  leg.  If  'ee  be  a  man,  'ee'll  tell  the  truth 
an'  shame  the  devil." 

I  must  leave  you  to  picture  for  yourself 
the  vehemence  with  which  all  this  was 
said.  The  words  poured  from  her  throat  in 
a  torrent,  and  every  sentence  was  punctu- 
ated with  slaps  upon  the  table.  So  engaged 
were  they  in  their  quo.rrel  that  some  mo- 
ments elapsed  before  they  perceived  Ni- 
kola and  myself  standing  in  the  doorway. 


DR.    NIKOLAS   EXPERIMENT. 


^47 


VV^hen  they  did,  the  tumult  ceased  as  if  by 
magic. 

*'  You  seem  to  be  enjoyinc;  yourselves,** 
said  Nikola  drily;  **  perhaps  you  will  be  kind 
enough  to  tell  me  what  it  is  all  about." 

He  had  no  sooner  finished  than  the  irate 
old  lady  recommenced. 

"  It's  just  this  way,  my  lord,"  she  said, 
though  why  she  should  have  bestowed  a  title 
upon  Nikola  I  could  not  understand.  "  Last 
night  I  was  troubled  with  rheumatiz  mortal 
bad,  and  went  to  bed  early.  My  old  man 
there,  beggin'  your  pardon  tor  the  liberty  I'm 
takin',  was  a-sittin'  by  the  fire  smokin'  his 
pipe,  such  bein'  his  custom  of  an  evening. 
He  had  had  his  supper,  and  as  I  se'd  with  my 
own  eyes  when  he'd  a  finished,  there  was  the 
end  of  a  leg  of  mutton  in  yon  cupboard. 
When  I  comes  this  mornin*  to  take  it  out  for 
breakfast,  it's  gone,  and  with  it  the  bread  as  I 
baked  with  my  own  hands  but  yesterday. 
And  he  stands  there,  savin'  your  presence,  my 
lord,  and  wants  I  for  to  believe  as  how  he's  not 
touched  it,  and  the  latch  of  the  cupboard 
down,  as  you  can  see  for  yourselves,  honour- 


t 


: 


I 


1) 


I' 


I  • 


248 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


Hi 


able  gentlemen  both,  with  your  own  eyes. 
I've  been  married  these  three-and-forty  years, 
and  I  don't  know  as  how  you  will  believe  it, 
my  lord " 

Seeing  that  she  was  getting  up  steam  once 
more,  Nikola  held  up  his  hand  to  her  to  be 
silent. 

"  What  you  tell  me  is  very  interesting," 
he  said,  fixing  his  dark  eyes  upon  her;  "  but 
let  me  understand  you  properly.  You  say 
you  went  to  bed  leaving  your  husband  smok- 
ing his  pipe  in  this  room.  Before  retiring 
you  convinced  yourself  that  the  food  which  is 
now  not  forthcoming  was  in  the  cupboard. 
Is  that  so?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  and  honourable  gentlemen 
both." 

Then  addressing  her  husband  Nikola  con- 
tinued:— 

"  I  suppose  you  went  to  sleep  over  your 
pipe?  " 

The  question  had  to  be  repeated,  and  his 
wife  had  to  admonish  him  with,  "  Speak  up 
to  his  lordship  like  a  man,"  before  he  could 
answer.     Even  then  his  reply  was  scarcely 


I 


t 


it 


I 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


249 


\'  '• 


satisfactory;  he  thought  he  might  have  fallen 
asleep,  but  he  was  not  at  all  sure  upon  the 
point.  He  admitted  that  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  doing  so;  and  as  far  as  Nikola  was  con- 
cerned, this  settled  the  matter. 

**  Quong  Ma,"  he  said,  turning  to  me. 
"  Now  I  understand  where  he  gets  his  food 
from."  Then  turning  to  the  woman  he  said, 
**  Your  husband  is  a  heavy  sleeper,  I  sup- 
pose? " 

"  Why,  bless  you,  sir,'  she  replied,  '*  he 
sleeps  that  heavy  you  can't  wake  him.  And 
as  for  snoring,  why,  the  rattHng  of  that  old 
bridge  out  yonder,  when  they're  a-drawin'  of 
it  up,  ain't  to  be  compared  with  him,  as  the 
sayin'  is.  I  did  hear  of  a  man,  when  I  Hved 
down  Sunderland,  as  did  snore  so  that,  when 
he  woke  up,  the  folks  next  door  sent  in  to 
ask  him  to  go  on  again,  the  stillness  bein'  that 
lonesome  that  they  couldn't  bear  it." 

Nikola  peremptorily  bade  the  old  woman 
be  silent,  and  ordered  her  for  the  future  to 
see  that  her  door  was  locked  at  dusk  every 
evening.  Then  addressing  her  husband,  he 
inquired  if  the  latter  was  conversant  with  the 


■I  '■ 


W\  V 


250 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'U      II 


'A       i 


subterranean  passages  of  the  Castle,  and  when 
he  had  replied  in  the  affirmative,  bade  him 
light  a  lantern,  and  show  us  all  he  could.  The 
man  diJ  so,  and  having  conducted  us  across 
the  courtyard,  entered  a  long,  low  chamber, 
which  might  once  have  been  used  as  a  bake- 
house. In  this  was  a  large  wooden  door,  se- 
cured with  many  bolts,  but  now  fallen  into 
considerable  disrepair.  These  bolts  he  drew 
one  by  one  with  an  air  of  importance  that  was 
indescribably  comic. 

"  I  don't  quite  understand  liow  these  bolts 
come  to  be  fastened  if  the  man  is  down  be- 
low," said  Nikola,  addressing  me.  I  shook 
my  head,  whereupon  he  bade  the  old  man  in- 
form him  whether  there  were  any  other  en- 
trances to  the  vaults  in  question. 

"  Lor,  sir,"  the  man  replied,  *'  the  Castle 
be  fair  mazed  with  them.  If  'ee  likes,  I  can 
take  'ee  into  most  any  room  in  the  place  from 
down  below." 

**  I  should  have  thought  of  that,"  said 
Nikola,  more  to  himself  than  to  me.  "  I  am 
sorry  I  didn't  question  our  friend  here  before. 
Quong  Ma  has  evidently  mastered  the  situa- 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


251 


tion,  and  is  playing  a  game  of  hide-and-seek. 
However,  we'll  examine  the  dungeons  first, 
and  the  passages  afterwards.  So  lead  the 
way,  my  friend." 

The  old  man  going  ahead  carrying  the 
lantern,  Nikola  following,  and  Ah-Win  and 
myself  bringing  up  the  rear,  we  made  our 
way  down  the  clammy  stone  staircase  into  the 
subterranean  portion  of  the  Castle.  It  was 
an  experience  that  would  have  been  worth 
anything  to  a  novelist  seeking  colour  for  a 
historical  tale;  but  knowing  what  I  did  about 
the  man  we  were  after,  I  cannot  say  that  I  ap- 
preciated the  incident  so  much.  In  addition 
to  my  nervousness,  my  head  was  aching,  while 
hot  and  cold  perspirations  alternately  con- 
tributed to  my  general  discomfort.  What 
was  the  matter  with  me  I  could  not  think. 
As  it  was,  I  was  the  only  member  of  the  party, 
I  believe,  who  felt  any  symptoms  of  fright. 
The  old  man  with  the  lantern  knew  nothing 
of  his  danger.  Ah-Win  was  an  Asiatic  and  a 
fatalist,  and  in  his  master's  presence  appeared 
not  to  care  whom  or  what  he  faced;  while,  as 
for  Nikola  himself,  I  believe  most  implicitly 


)  ■ 


,  I 


252 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


M.  { 


that  cold-blooded  individual  would  I^ave  faced 
certain  death  as  coolly  and  contentedly  as  he 
would  have  tossed  off  a  glass  of  wine.  Lower 
and  lower  we  descended,  glancing  into  dun- 
geons into  which  no  light  of  day  had  ever 
penetrated,  and  stooping  to  make  our  way 
along  passages  in  which  the  moisture  from  th- 
roof  fell  drip,  drip,  drip,  upon  our  heads. 
Search  as  we  would,  however,  we  could  dis- 
cover no  trace  of  that  villainous  Celestial. 

"  We  be  close  down  alongside  the  sea  now, 
your  lordship,"  said  the  old  man,  "  and  when 
I  tells  'ee  that,  I  tells  'ee  summat  as  not  many 
folks  as  has  bided  in  this  'ere  Castle  ever 
knowed." 

"  Most  admirable  of  men,"  said  Nikola, 
"  you  are  telling  me  exactly  what  I  want  to 
know.  Do  you  mean  that  it's  possible  for  us 
to  reach  the  sea  from  where  we  are  now  stand- 
ing without  crossing  the  drawbridge?  " 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  do  mean,  my 
lord,"  he  answered.  "  And  if  your  lordship 
and  the  honourable  gentleman  will  come  wi' 
I,  I'll  let  'ee  see  for  your  own  selves." 

Forthwith  the  old  fellow,  holding  his  Ian- 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


253 


tern  aloft,  turned  down  a  narrow  passage, 
leading  to  the  right,  and  a  few  minutes  later 
brought  us  up  to  some  steps,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  the  light  of  day  could  be  plainly  seen. 
To  reach  the  bottom  of  the  steps  was  the 
work  of  a  moment,  and  once  there  a  curious 
scene  was  revealed  to  us.  The  doorway 
opened  into  the  chasm  which  I  have  described 
earlier,  and  was  situated  almost  directly  be- 
neath the  drawbridge  and  the  keep.  Kneel- 
ing down,  Nikola  and  I  looked  over  the  edge 
and  could  plainly  see  a  number  of  iron  steps 
let  into  the  rock  one  above  the  other.  At  the 
bottom — for  it  was  now  full  tide — the  sea 
washed  and  dashed  with  terrific  force.  Ris- 
ing to  his  feet  ajj^in,  Nikola  addressed  the  old 
man. 

"  Is  it  possible  at  low  tide,"  he  said,  "  to 
reach  the  sands  from  here?  " 

"  Lor'  bless  you,  yes,  sir,"  the  man  replied. 
"  When  the  tide  is  down,  'ee  can  get  along 
from  rock  to  rock  without  as  much  as  wetting 
shoe  leather." 

"  That    accounts    for    everything,"    said 

Nikola   with   considerable   satisfaction.      "  I 
17 


\ 


' 


254 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT, 


H 


mw 


hi 


understand  exactly  how  Quong  Ma  got  into 
the  Castle  now;  he  must  have  laughed  to 
himself  when  he  saw  that  we  had  raised  the 
drawbridge  in  the  hope  of  keeping  him  out. 
However,  forewarned  is  forearmed,  and  this 
place  shall  be  bricked  up  this  morning.  You, 
my  old  friend,  had  better  see  to  it,  and  be  sure 
that  you  make  a  good  job  of  it." 

The  old  man  promised  to  do  so,  and  see- 
ing that  there  was  nothing  further  to  be 
gained  by  remaining  where  we  were,  Nikola 
bade  him  conduct  us  back  again  to  our  own 
portion  of  the  building  by  a  secret  passage  if 
possible.  The  man  assured  us  that  he  could 
do  so,  and  was  as  good  as  his  word.  We 
climbed,  crawled,  and  scrambled  our  way  up 
the  narrow  steps  and  along  a  rabbit  warren  of 
a  small  passage  behind  our  guide.  At  last  he 
stopped. 

"  Would  your  lordship  be  kind  enough  to 
say  where  'ee  think  'ee  are  row?  "  he  said. 

**  I  have  not  the  least  notion,"  said  Nikola. 

"  Nor  I,'^  I  added. 

"  Well,  sir,  I  will  show  'ee,"  said  the  man, 
and  after  a  little  hunting  he  found  and  pressed 


DR.  NIKOLAS   EXPERIMENT. 


255 


something  in  the  wall.  There  was  a  grating 
noise,  a  sound  a.s  of  rusty  hinges  being  ^^lowly 
unfolded,  and  then  a  portion  of  the  wall  swung 
outward  and  we  found  ourselves  standing  at 
the  top  of  the  great  staircase  within  a  few 
yards  of  Consuelo's  apartments. 

**  This  is  uncanny  to  say  the  least  of  it," 
remarked  Nikola. 

**  Pray  do  any  of  these  interesting  pas- 
sages open  into  the  young  lady's  room  oppo- 
site, or  into  the  smaller  hall  occupied  by  this 
gentleman  and  myself?  " 

"  Not  now,  my  lord,"  the  man  replied. 
"  Time  was  when  they  did,  but  the  old  lord 
didn't  take  kmdly  to  'em  and  they  was  bricked 
up  as  much  as  five  year  ago." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Nikola,  and 
you  may  imagine  that  I  echoed  the  senti- 
ment. Nikola  thereupon  thanked  the  old 
man  and  dismissed  him,  at  the  same  time 
reiterating  his  order  that  the  opening  in  the 
chasm  below  the  drawbridge  should  be  m^de 
secure. 

The  excitement  of  the  search  for  Quong 
Ma  and  the  damp  of  the  passages  had  been 


n 


■ 


256 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


11  lie 


•K 


i;U 


too  much  for  me,  and  by  the  time  we  reached 
the  hall  I  could  scarcely  stand. 

"  Good  heavens,  Ingleby!"  said  Nikola,  as 
I  dropped  into  a  chair,  "  you're  looking  aw- 
fully ill.     What  is  the  matter?  " 

"  I  can't  exactly  say,"  I  answered.  "  I 
fear  I  must  have  caught  a  chill  on  the  battle- 
ments last  night." 

"  And  yet  you  accompanied  me  down  to 
those  damp  passages  this  morning.  Was  that 
wise? 

"  I  was  not  going  to  let  you  go  alone,"  I 
replied. 

He  glanced  sharply  at  me,  as  if  he  would 
read  my  thoughts. 

"  Well,  well,  I'll  tell  you  what  you  must 
do:  you  must  be  off  to  bed  at  once.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  about  that." 

I  tried  to  protest:  I  explained  my  desire 
to  see  the  end  of  the  experiment;  but  Nikola 
was  adamant.  To  bed  I  must  ^^o,  willy-nilly; 
and  to  bed  I  accordingly  went,  but  not  in  my 
own  room  ofif  the  hall.  An  apartment  further 
down  the  corridor,  next  door  to  that  occupied 
by  Consuelo,  was  arranged  for  me;  and  when 


i.i: 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


257 


I  was  safely  between  the  blankets,  Nikola 
prescribed  for  me,  and  my  sweetheart  was 
dul)  installed  as  nurse.  My  indisposition 
must  have  been  more  severe  than  1  had  sup- 
posed, for  before  nightfall  I  was  in  a  high 
state  of  fever,  and  by  midnight  was  delirious. 

I  remember  nothing  further  until  I  opened 
my  eyes  and  found  Consuelo  sitting  by  my 
side. 

"  What  does  this  mean?  "  I  inquired,  sur- 
prised to  find  her  there. 

**  It  means  that  you  have  been  very  ill," 
she  answered,  "  and  that  I  am  your  nurse,  and 
am  not  going  to  permit  you  to  talk  very 
much." 

To  do  this  was  a  feat  of  which  I  was  in- 
capable, but  I  was  not  going  to  be  silent  until 
I  had  learnt  something  of  what  had  happened. 

"  How  long  have  I  been  ill?  "  I  inquired. 

"  More  than  a  v^eek,"  she  answered;  and 
then  added,  "  You  naughty  boy,  you  little 
know  what  a  fright  you  have  given  me.  But 
you  must  not  talk  any  more,  or  Dr.  Nikola 
will  be  angry." 

She  poured  out  some  medicine  for  me. 


258 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


r  i 


bade  me  drink  it  and  then  reseated  herself  be- 
side me.  In  five  minutes  1  was  wrapped  in  a 
heavy  slumber,  from  which  I  did  not  wake  for 
several  hours.  When  I  did,  I  found  Dr.  Ni- 
ko'  installed  as  nurse;  Consuelo  had  disap- 
p«ii.  i. 

"  W  11,  Ingleby,"  said  Nikola  cheerily,  as 
he  felt  my  pulse,  **  you  have  had  a  sharp  bout 
of  it,  but  I  am  glad  to  see  we  have  managed 
to  pull  you  through.  How  do  you  feel  in 
yourself?  " 

'*  Much  better,"  I  answered,  "  though  still 
a  bit  shaky." 

"  1  don't  wonder  at  it,"  he  said.  "  Do 
you  fe<il  hungry?  " 

*'  I  feel  as  if  I  could  eat  anything,"  I  an- 
swered. 

"  Well,  that's  a  good  sign.  I'll  see  that 
something  is  sent  you.  In  the  meanwhile 
keep  as  quiet  as  possible.  When  I  leave 
you,  I'll  send  your  sweetheart  to  you;  she 
has  been  a  devoted  nurse,  and  between  our- 
selves I  rather  fancy  you  owe  your  life  to 
her." 

"  God  bless  her! "  I  answered  fervently. 


Ill 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


259 


"  But  you  call  her  my  sweetheart.  What  do 
you  mean  by  that?  " 

**  My  dear  fellow,  I  know  everything. 
One  night  the  young  lady  in  question  was 
rather  concerned  about  you,  and  in  her  agita- 
tion she  allowed  the  cat  to  slip  out  of  the  bag. 
You  young  people  seem  to  have  managed  the 
matter  pretty  well  in  the  short  timt  j  -^w  have 
known  each  other.  Now  keep  qi'>t  f  a  few 
moments  while  I  see  if  I  can  finc^  ht  •  " 

He  was  making  for  the  doo  ,  when  I 
stopped  him. 

"  You  have  not  told  me  how  the  Don  is," 
I  said.  "  How  does  the  experiment  pro- 
gress." 

His  face  clouded  over. 

"  It  has  proved  successful,"  he  answered, 
but  with  a  sudden  sternness  that  surprised  me. 
It  was  for  all  the  world  as  if  he  were  trying  to 
convince  me  that  what  he  said  was  correct, 
although  in  his  own  heart  he  knew  it  was  not 
so.     When  he  spoke  again  it  was  very  slowly. 

"  Yes,  Ingleby,"  he  said,  as  if  he  were 
weighing  every  word  before  he  uttered  it, 
"  the  experiment  has  proved  a  success.      I 


I 


26o 


DR.    NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


Vi 


n  fl 


have  made  the  Don  a  young  man,  but — well, 
to  tell  the  truth,  I  have  made  a  mistake  in  my 
calculations,  a  mistake  that  I  cannot  explain 
and  that  I  can  in  no  way  account  for." 

"And  the  result?" 

"  Don't  ask  me,"  he  said,  "  for  I  am  afraid 
I  do  not  know  myself.  By  the  time  you  are 
on  your  feet  again  I  shall  hope  to  have  come 
nearer  an  understanding  of  the  situation. 
Then  I  shall  be  able  to  tell  you  more  of  what 
I  hope  and  fear.  At  present  I  scarcely  like  to 
think  of  it  myself." 

To  my  surprise,  as  I  watched  him,  I  saw 
great  beads  of  perspiration  start  out  upon  his 
forehead,  and  for  the  first  time  since  I  had 
known  him  I  saw  a  look  of  terror  in  Dr.  Ni- 
kola's face.  I  tried  to  question  him  further 
upon  the  subject,  but  he  bade  me  wait  until  I 
was  stronger,  and,  presently  repeating  that 
he  would  find  Consuelo,  he  left  me.  When 
my  sweetheart  entered  the  room,  looking 
more  beautiful  than  I  had  ever  seen  her,  I  for- 
got, for  the  time  being,  about  Nikola. 

"  You  are  looking  much  better,"  she  said, 
as  she  came  toward  me  and  put  down  upon 


■rl 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


261 


the  table  the  tray  she  carried  in  her  hand. 
"  Here  is  some  beef-tea  which  I  have  made  for 
you  myself.  If  you  don't  drink  it  all  up,  I 
shall  let  the  old  woman  in  the  kitchen  make 
it  for  you  in  the  future  and  bring  it  to  you  her- 
self." 

"  You  had  better  not,"  I  answered.  "  In 
that  case  I  should  refuse  to  touch  a  drop  of  it, 
and  should  die  of  slow  starvation  in  conse- 
quence." 

With  a  gentleness  that  was  infinitely  be- 
coming to  her,  she  lifted  my  head  and  held 
the  cup  while  I  drank.  If  I  took  longer  over 
it  than  I  should  have  done  at  any  other  time, 
the  fact  must,  of  course,  be  attributed  to  my 
weakness. 

"  Dr.  Nikola  says  he  is  very  pleased  with 
the  progress  you  have  made,"  she  said,  when 
she  had  replaced  the  cup  upon  the  table. 
"  But  you  are  to  be  kept  very  quiet  for  some 
days,  and  to  sleep  as  much  as  possible." 
And  when  am  I  to  get  up?  ''  I  asked. 
Get   up!"    she   cried   in   mock   horror. 


<( 


(( 


tt 


You  mupt  not  even  think  of  such  a  thing  for 
a  week  at  least." 


w 


il 


I 


\S 


I 


I 


■ 


262 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'•IH 


r  ! 


I  ti. 


V 


"A  week!"  I  replied.  "Do  you  think 
I've  to  stay  here  for  a  week?  " 

•'  So  Dr.  Nikula  says." 

Tlic  remainder  of  our  conversation  is  too 
sacred  to  be  set  down  in  cold-drawn  type. 
Let  it  suffice  that  when  1  fell  asleep  again  it 
was  with  !ier  hand  in  mine.  I  was  more  in 
love  even  than  1  had  been  before. 

As  Consuelo  had  predicted,  more  than  a 
week  had  elapsed  before  I  was  permitted  to 
leave  my  room.  Even  then  I  was  not  allowed 
to  return  to  my  duties  at  once,  but  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  my  time  with  Consuelo  on 
the  battlements,  gaining  strength  with  every 
breath  of  sea  air  that  I  inhaled. 

Nikola  I  saw  but  little  of.  He  examined 
me  every  morning,  and  on  one  or  two  oc- 
casions honoured  us  with  his  company  for  a 
brief  period  on  the  Castle  roof.  At  the  best 
of  times,  however,  he  was  not  a  good  com- 
panion. He  was  invariably  absorbed  in  his 
own  thoughts,  spoke  but  little,  and  struck  me 
as  being  anxious  to  say  good-bye  almost  as 
soon  as  he  arrived.  Since  then  I  have  learned 
the  true  reason  of  it  all,  and  I  have  been  able 


( 


!' 


II.   1 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMKNT. 


263 


to  see  that  complex  character  in  a  new  li^ht. 
It  never  struck  me  huw  lunely  tlie  man's  life 
must  be.  During  the  whole  time  that  I  was 
associated  with  him  I  never  once  heard  him 
speak  of  kith  or  kin.  I'Viends  he  appeared  to 
have  none,  while  his  accjuaintances  numbered 
otdy  such  men  as  were  necessary  to  the  par- 
ticular work  he  happened  to  be  engajjed  in 
at  the  moment  of  their  meeting.  His  very 
attainments,  his  peculiar  knowledp-c  of  the 
world,  of  its  under  and  mystic  side,  were  sufrt- 
cient  to  make  him  hold  aloof  from  his  fellow- 
men.  In  all  matters  of  comfort  a  rigid  as- 
cetic, the  good  things  of  life  had  no  temp- 
tation for  him.  To  sum  it  all  up,  of  this  I 
feel  certain,  so  certain  indeed  that  at  times  it 
becomes  almost  a  pain,  that  Nikola,  with  all 
his  sternness,  his  self-denial,  his  genius  and  his 
failings,  hungered  for  one  thing,  and  that  was 
to  be  loved.  Why  should  I  say  this,  consider- 
ing that  the  only  evidence  I  have  to  offer 
tends  to  lead  one's  thoughts  in  a  contrary 
direction?  I  do  not  know,  but  as  I  remarked 
just  now,  I  feel  convinced  that  my  hypothesis 
is  a  correct  one  as  I  am  that  I  love  Consuelo. 


,'i 


264 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'i'  til' 


;  |j<r 


But  to  return  to  my  story.  It  was  not  until 
nearly  a  fortnight  had  elapsed,  since  my  re- 
turn to  consciousness,  that  I  was  permitted 
to  take  up  my  duties  again.  When  I  did,  I 
returned  to  my  old  quarters  leading  out  of  the 
hall,  and  I  think  Nikola  was  pleased  to  once 
more  have  my  co-operation — at  any  rate  he 
led  me  to  suppose  that  he  was. 

*'  When  you  think  you  are  up  to  the 
mark,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  show  you  the 
Don,"  he  said,  "  and  to  hear  your  opinion  of 
him." 

I  expressed  myself  as  being  quite  equal  to 
seeing  him  at  once. 

"  Very  good,"  he  answered,  "  but  I  warn 
you  to  be  prepared  for  a  great  and  somewhat 
unpleasant  change  in  the  man." 

So  saying,  he  led  me  across  the  hall  to- 
wards the  room  in  which  I  had,  before  my  ill- 
ness, spent  so  many  hours.  Inserting  the  key 
in  the  lock,  he  turned  it  and  we  entered.  1 
had  expected  to  find  it  exactly  as  I  had  last 
seen  it.  A  surprise,  however,  was  in  store  for 
me.  The  bedplace  in  the  centre  was  gone,  as 
were    both    the    electrical    appliances.     The 


■^ 


M 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


265 


clock  and  the  thermometers  had  been  re- 
moved, the  only  things  that  still  remained 
being  the  electric  lights  which  suspended  from 
the  ceiling,  and  the  enclosed  fixtures  for  regu- 
lating the  supply  of  hot  and  cold  air.  In 
point  of  fact,  it  was  as  bare  a  room  as  well 
could  be  imagined. 

"  Don  Miguel,"  said  Nikola,  "  I  have 
brought  an  old  friend  to  see  you." 

I  looked  about  the  room,  but  for  a  mo- 
ment could  see  nothing  of  the  old  man  in 
question.  Then  my  eye  lighted  on  what 
looked  like  a  heap  of  clothes  huddled  up  on 
a  mattress  in  the  corner.  On  hearing  Ni- 
kola's voice  a  face  looked  up  at  me,  a  face  so 
terrible,  so  demoniacal  I  might  say,  that  I  in- 
voluntarily shrank  from  it.  What  there  was 
about  it  that  caused  me  such  revulsion,  I  can- 
not say.  It  was  the  countenance  of  a  young 
man,  if  you  can  imagine  a  man  endowed  with 
perpetual  youth,  and  with  that  youth  the  cun- 
ning, the  cruelty,  and  the  vice  of  countless 
centuries. 

"  Steady,  my  friend,"  I  heard  Nikola  say, 
and  as  he  did  so  he  placed  his  hand  upon  my 


li 


r. 


\  I 


li 


t 


I    : 


266 


DR.   NIKOLAS   EXPERIMENT. 


<   ;r 


I     I 


li  ! 


arm.  "  Remember,  Ingleby,  this  is  nothing 
more  than  an  experiment." 

Then  addressing  the  crouching  figure,  he 
bade  him  stand  up.  With  a  snarl  hke  that 
of  a  dog,  or  rather  of  a  wild  beast,  who  is  com- 
pelled to  do  a  thing  very  much  against  his 
will,  the  man  obeyed.  I  was  able  then  to 
take  better  stock  of  him.  Accustomed  as  I 
was  to  the  old  Don's  face,  I  found  it  difficult 
to  realise  that  the  healthy,  vigorous  man 
standing  before  me  was  he,  and  yet  I  had  only 
to  look  at  him  carefully  to  have  all  doubt  upon 
the  subject  removed.  He  was  the  same  and 
yet  not  the  sarre.  At  any  rate,  he  was  an 
illustration  of  the  marvellous,  nay,  the  almost 
unbelievable,  success  of  Nikola's  experiment. 

"  You  remember  the  Don  as  he  was,  and 
you  can  see  to  what  I  have  been  able  to  bring 
him,"  said  Nikola  sadly,  and  for  one  moment 
without  a  trace  of  triumph.  This,  however, 
was  soon  forthcoming. 

*'  Out  of  an  old  man  tottering  on  the 
brink  of  the  grave,  I  have  manufactured  a 
young  and  vigorous  creature  such  as  you  now 
see  before  you.     I  have  made  him,   I  have 


M 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXTERIMENT. 


267 


transformed  him,  I  have  subjected  Nature  to 
science,  I  nave  revolutionized  the  world,  abol- 
ished death,  and  upset  the  teachings,  and  the 
essential  idea,  of  all  religions.  I  have  proved 
that  old  age  can  be  prevented,  and  the  grave 
defied.     And — and — /  have  failed.'' 

Under  the  intensity  of  his  emotion  his 
voice  broke,  and  something  very  like  a  sob 
burst  from  him.  Never  since  I  had  known 
Nikola  had  I  see  him  as  he  was  then.  To  all 
appearances  he  was  well-nigh  broken-hearted. 

"  If  you  have  done  all  this,"  I  asked,  "  how 
can  you  say  that  you  have  failed?  " 

*'  Are  you  so  blind  that  you  cannot  see?  " 
he  answered.  "  Examine  the  man  for  your- 
self, and  you  will  find  that  he  is  a  human  be- 
ing in  animal  life  only.  I  have  given  him 
back  his  youth,  his  strength,  his  enjoyment  in 
living,  but  I  cannot  give  him  back  his  mind. 
In  his  body  I  have  triumphed;  in  his  brain  I 
have  completely  failed." 

"But  cannot  this  be  set  right?"  I  in- 
quired.    "  Is  the  case  quite  hopeless?  " 

"  Noth'ng  is  hopeless,"  he  answered; 
"  but  it  will  take  years,  centuries  perhaps,  of 


n 


I; 


I 


268 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'■i    :  i 


work  to  find  the  secret.  I  thought  when  I 
built  up  the  body  I  should  be  building  up  the 
brain  as  well.  It  was  not  so.  In  proportion 
as  his  body  renewed  its  youth,  his  brain 
shrunk.     Let  me  give  you  an  illustration." 

He  went  forwards  towards  the  man,  who 
was  now  once  more  crouching  upon  the  floor, 
watching  us  over  his  right  shoulder  as  if  he 
were  afraid  we  were  going  to  do  him  harm. 

''  Well,  Miguel,"  said  Nikola,  patting  hiin 
upon  the  head,  and  speaking  to  him  in  the 
same  tone  he  would  have  used  to  a  favourite 
monkey,  *'  how  is  it  with  you  to  day?  " 

The  man,  however,  took  no  rotice,  but 
bending  down  played  with  the  l;»ce  c  j  Nikola's 
shoe,  now  and  again  looking-  swiftly  up  into 
his  face,  as  if  J  e  dreaded  a  blow,  jnd  as  swiftly 
looking  away   >gain. 

"  This  should  prove  to  you  what  I  mean," 
said  Nikola,  addressing  me.  "  In  his  present 
condition  he  is  less  than  a  man,  and  yet  where 
would  you  find  a  finer  frame?  His  heart,  his 
lungs,  his  constitution,  all  are  perfect." 

While  he  had  been  speaking  he  had  turned 
his  back  upon  the  beast  upon  the  floor,  and 


<  t 


DR.   NIKOLAS   EXPERIMENT. 


261^ 


as  he  uttered  the  last  words  he  moved  to- 
wards me.  He  had  not  taken  a  step,  how- 
ever, before  the  Don  was  half  on  his  feet. 
From  childish  idiocy  his  expression  had 
changed  until  it  was  a  fiendish  malignity  that 
surpasses  all  description  in  words. 

In  another  moment  he  would  have  thrown 
himself  01  Nikola.  As  it  was  he  glared  at 
him  until  he  turned,  when  in  an  'nstant  the 
wild  expression  was  gone,  and  he  was  crouch- 
ing upon  the  floor  once  more,  picking  at  his 
fingers  and  smiling  to  himself. 

"  You  can  see  for  yourself  what  he  is,"  said 
Nikola:  **  an  imbecile;  but  for  one  ray  of 
hope  I  should  despair  of  him." 

"  There  is,  then,  a  ray  of  hope,"  I  said 
eagerly,  clutching  like  a  drowning  man  at  the 
straw  he  held  out.    "  Thank  God  for  that! '" 

"  There  is  a  ray,"  he  answered,  "  but  it  is  a 
very  little  one.     I  will  give  you  an      ample." 

Turning  to  the  wretched  creat  ^e  on  the 
floor,  he  extended  his  hand  towarr'  him,  and, 
gradually  lifting  it,  bade  him  rise  The  effect 
was  instantaneous.  The  man  lose  little  by 
little  until  he   stood   upright.      Once   more 

z8 


I 


^'i- 


* 


270 


DR.   NIKOLAS   EXPERIMENT. 


?«  ;■ 


■|     1 


I  , 


pointing  his  hand  directly  at  him,  Nikola 
moved  towards  him,  until  the  points  of  his 
fingers  were  scarcely  an  inch  from  the  other's 
eyes.  Then  slowly  raising  his  fingers  he  made 
an  upward  and  a  downward  pass. 

The  eyes  closed,  and  yet  the  man  still  re- 
mained rigid  against  the  wall.  Turning  to 
me,  Nikola  said: — 

**  You  can  see  for  yourself  that  he  is  abso- 
lutely under  my  influence  and  control." 

I  approached  and  made  a  careful  exam- 
ination. There  could  be  no  doubt  about  his 
condition:  it  was  one  of  the  hypnotic  coma; 
and  on  raising  one  of  the  eyelids  I  found  the 
ball  turned  upwards  and  wandering  in  its 
orbit. 

*•  You  are  satisfied?  "  inquired  Nikola. 
Perfectly,"  I  answered. 
In  that  case  let  us  proceed." 

"  To  whom  am  I  speaking?  "  asked  Ni- 
kola, addressing  the  man  before  him. 

"  To  Miguel  de  Moreno,"  was  the  answer, 
given  in  a  perfectly  clear  and  strong  voice, 
and  without  apparent  hesitation. 

"  Do  you  know  where  you  are?  " 


(( 


<( 


i  I 


DR.    NIKOLA'S    EXPERIMENT. 


271 


'•  I  am  with  Dr.  Nikola." 

"  Before  you  came  to  me,  with  whom  and 
where  did  you  live?  " 

"  I  lived  with  my  great-granddaughter  in 
Cadiz." 

'^  Have  you  any  recollection  of  coming  to 
England?  " 

*'  I  remember  it  perfectly." 

"  Now  lie  down  upon  that  mattress,  and 
sleep  without  waking  until  eight  o'clock  to- 
morrow morning," 

The  man  did  as  he  was  ordered  without 
hesitation.  Nikola  covered  him  with  the 
blankets,  and  as  soon  as  we  had  made  sure  of 
his  safety  we  left  the  room,  carefully  locking 
the  door  after  us. 

"  You  can  have  no  idea,  Ingleby,  what  a 
disappointment  this  has  been  to  me.  Three 
times  before  I  have  tried  and  failed,  but  this 
time  I  made  sure  J  had  success  within  my 
grasp.  I  have  progressed  further  now  than 
I  have  ever  done  before,  it  is  true;  but  it  is 
the  brain  that  has  beaten  me.  As  long  as 
I  live,  I  will  persevere,  and  the  perfect  man, 
who  shall  retain  his  youth  through  all  ages, 


272 


DR.    NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


shall  eventually  walk  the  earth.  Now  good 
night." 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  me,  and  as  I 
shook  it  Apollyon  came  up,  and  rubbed  him- 
self against  my  leg,  as  if  to  show  that  he  too 
appreciated  my  sympathy.  I  was  about  to  re- 
tire to  my  room  when  it  struck  me  that  I  had 
heard  nothing  of  our  friend  Quong  Ma  since 
we  had  searched  the  subterranean  portion  of 
the  Castle  for  him.  I  asked  Nikola  if  he  had 
anything  to  tell  me  concerning  him. 

"  Nothing,"  he  answered,  "  save  that  last 
night  I  felt  certain  that  I  saw  a  man  cross  the 
courtyard.  It  was  just  before  midnight,  the 
moon  was  about  the  building,  and  I  am  ready 
to  stake  anything  that  I  am  not  deceived." 

"  But  who  could  it  have  been?  " 

"  That's  exactly  what  I  want  to  know,"  he 
answered.  **  You  were  safe  in  bed  and  asleep. 
It  was  not  the  caretaker,  for  I  tried  his  door 
and  found  it  locked,  and  from  the  sound  that 
greeted  me  I  had  good  proof  it  was  not  he." 

"  But  might  it  not  have  been  Ah-Win?  " 
I  asked. 

"  I  thought  so,  and  before  going  in  search 


i\* 


good 


>> 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT, 


273 


of  the  figure  I  hastened  to  his  room,  only  to 
find  him  also  asleep." 

"  In  that  case  it  must  have  been  Quong 
Ma.  But  how  does  the  fellow  live.'*  and  why 
does  he  not  strike?  " 

"  Because  he  has  not  yet  found  his  oppor- 
tunity. When  he  does,  you  may  be  sure  he 
will  avail  himself  of  it.  Now  once  more 
good-night.  You  need  not  trouble  about 
our  patient;  I  shall  take  a  look  at  him  about 
midnight." 

"  Good-night,"  I  said,  and  went  to  my 
room,  the  door  of  which  I  carefully  locked. 
My  last  waking  thoughts  were  of  Consuelo, 
and  my  speculations  as  to  what  her  feelings 
would  be  when  she  realized  the  terrible  change 
that  had  taken  place  in  her  great-grandfather 
were  sufificient  to  give  me  a  nightmare.  Over 
and  over  again  I  was  afflicted  with  the  most 
horrible  dreams;  and  when  I  was  roused  by  a 
loud  thumping  on  my  door,  and  Nikola's 
voice  calling  for  admittance,  it  seemed  so 
much  part  and  parcel  of  the  horror  my  brain 
had  just  pictured  for  me.  that  for  the  moment 
I  took  no  notice  of  it.    It  sounded  again;  so, 


274 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


-t  't 


'I 


mi 


springing  from  my  bed,  I  ran  to  the  door,  and 
opened  it. 

**  What  is  the  matter?  "  I  asked,  when  he 
was  standing  before  me.  His  usual  pale  face 
was  now  ghastly  in  its  whiteness. 

"Good  heavens,  man!"  he  cried,  "you 
have  no  notion  of  what  has  happened.  Dress 
yourself  immediately  and  come  with  me!" 
He  sat  upon  my  bed  while  I  huddled  my 
clothes  on;  then,  when  I  was  ready,  he  seized 
me  by  the  wrist,  and  half  dragged  me,  half  led 
me  into  the  hall.  Once  there,  he  pointed  to 
the  figure  of  a  man  stretched  out  before  his 
door.  It  was  Ah-Win;  and  his  throat  was  cut 
from  ear  to  ear. 

The  sight  was  so  sudden,  and  so  to- 
tally unexpected,  that  it  was  almost  too 
much  for  me.  Recovering  my  presence  of 
mind,  however,  I  knelt  down  and  examined 
him. 

"  Look  at  his  hands  ! "  said  Nikola. 
"  They  are  cut  to  the  bone  with  some  sharp- 
bladed  instrument.  The  murderer  must  have 
come  here  in  search  of  me.  Ah-Win  must 
have  met  him,  tried  to  prevent  him  reaching 


:  i" 


]h 


\i  I 


DR.    NIKOLA'S    EXPERIMENT. 


27S 


the  door,  was  unable  to  warn  us,  and  so  have 
met  his  fate." 

We  were  both  tco  much  overcome  to  con- 
tinue the  discussion.  Quong  Ma  had  struck 
at  last. 


i. 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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u 

•»  i. 


14.0 


12.0 


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/, 


HiotDgrafJiic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  USM 

(716)  •72-4303 


4 


6^ 


I: 


CHAPTER   IX. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  preceding  chap- 
ter, I  described  to  you  the  terrible  discovery 
we  had  made  of  the  death  of  Ah-Win.  That 
he  had  met  his  fate  in  an  endeavour  to  pre- 
vent Quong  Ma  from  reaching  his  master's 
room  seemed  quite  in  accordance  with  the 
evidence  before  us.  Small  wonder  was  it, 
therefore,  that  Nikola  was  affected.  But 
even  in  his  grief  he  proved  himself  unlike  the 
average  man.  Another  man  would  have  be- 
wailed his  loss,  or  at  least  have  expressed 
some  sorrow  at  his  servant's  unhappy  lot. 
Nikola,  however,  did  neither,  and  yet  his  grief 
was  as  plain  to  the  eye  as  if  he  had  wept  copi- 
ous tears.  Having  satisfied  himself  that  the 
poor  fellow  really  was  dead,  he  bade  me  help 
him  carry  the  body  down  the  passage  to  an 
empty  room  which  adjoined  his  former  quar- 
ters. We  laid  it  upon  a  bed  there,  and  Nikola 
276  \ 


:  t 

V 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


277 


followed  me  into  the  passage,  carefully  lock- 
ing the  door  behind  him.  When  we  were 
back  in  the  hall  once  more,  Nikola  spoke. 

"  This  has  gone  far  enough,"  he  said. 
"  Come  what  may,  we  must  find  Quong  Ma. 
The  fellow  must  be  in  the  Castle  at  this  min- 
ute." 

"  Shall  we  organize  ?  search  for  him?  "  I 
said.  "  The  man  must  be  captured  at  any 
hazard;  we  are  risking  valuable  lives  by  allow- 
ing him  to  remain  at  large." 

Though  I  used  the  plural,  I  must  confess 
I  was  thinking  more  of  my  darling  than  of 
anybody  else.  Kow  did  I  know  that,  when 
Quong  Ma  found  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  get  hold. of  Nikola,  he  would  not  revenge 
himself  upon  Consuelo? 

"  That  we  must  find  him  goes  withou  say- 
ing," Nikola  replied.  "  I  doubt  very  much, 
however,  if  it  would  be  prudent  for  you  to 
take  part  in  the  search.  In  the  first  place, 
you  are  still  as  weak  as  a  baby;  and  in  the  sec- 
ond, the  damp  of  the  subterranean  passages 
might  very  easily  bring  on  a  return  of  the 
fever." 


' 


I 


2/8 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


"  You  surely  do  not  imagine  that  I  should 
permit  you  to  go  alone,"  I  said. 

Nikola  gave  a  short  laugh. 

"  I  do  not  want  to  appear  boastful,"  he 
said,  "  but  I  am  very  much  afraid  you  do  not 
know  me  yet,  my  dear  Ingleby.  However,  I 
will  confess  that  if  you  really  do  desire  it,  and 
feel  equal  to  the  exertion,  I  shall  be  very  glad 
of  your  company." 

"  When  do  you  propose  to  start?  " 

"  At  once,"  he  answered.  "  I  shall  not 
know  a  minute's  peace  until  I  have  revenged 
Ah-Win." 

"  And  supposing  we  catch  the  fellow,  what 
do  you  propose  to  do  with  him?  It  is  a 
long  way  from  here  to  the  nearest  police 
station." 

"  I  don't  fancy  somehow  I  shall  trouble 
the  police,"  he  said.  "  But  we  will  talk  of 
what  we  will  do  with  him  when  we  have  got 
him.     Now,  if  you  are  ready,  come  along." 

Thereupon,  for  the  second  time  we 
searched  the  Castle  for  Quong  Ma.  As  be- 
fore, we  first  visited  the  battlements  and  the 
rooms  on  the  next  floor,  the  basement  offices 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


279 


followed,  and  still  being  unsuccessful,  we  un- 
bolted the  door  leading  to  the  dungeons  and 
entered  the  subterranean  portion  of  the  build- 
ing. Cool  as  I  endeavoured  to  appear,  I  am 
prepared  to  confess  that,  when  the  icy  wind 
came  up  to  greet  us  from  those  dark  and 
dreary  passages,  I  was  far  from  feeling  com- 
fortable. I  don't  set  up  to  be  a  braver  man 
than  my  fellows,  but  it  seemed  to  me  to  re- 
quire more  pluck  to  enter  those  dismal  re- 
gions than  to  take  part  in  a  forlorn  hope. 
With  our  revolvers  in  our  hands,  and  Nikola 
holding  the  lantern  above  his  head,  we  ex- 
plored passage  after  passage  and  dungeon 
after  dungeon.  Rats  scuttled  away  beneath 
our  feet,  bats  flew  in  the  darkness  above  our 
heads;  but,  as  before,  not  a  sign  of  Quong 
Ma. 

"  I  cannot  understand  it,"  said  Nikola  at 
last,  and  his  voice  echoed  along  the  rocky 
passages.  "  We  have  explored  every  room  in 
the  Castle  and  every  dungeon  underneath  it, 
and  not  a  trace  of  the  man  can  we  discover. 
We  have  bricked  up  the  opening  into  the 
chasm,  and  lifted  the  drawbridge  that  con- 


1% 


'\ 


I 


28o 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


■< 


if   L 

V- 


nects  us  with  the  outside  world,  and  yet  we 
cannot  catch  him.  He  must  be  here  some- 
where." 

"Exactly;  but  where?" 

"  If  I  knew,  do  you  think  I  should  be 
standing  here? "  Nikola  replied  sharply. 
"  But  let  us  try  back  again.  I  want  to  ex- 
plore that  secret  passage  the  old  man  showed 
us  the  other  day.  I  remember  now  that  there 
was  something  that  struck  me  as  being  rather 
peculiar  about  it." 

Wc  accordingly  retraced  our  steps,  found 
the  passage  in  question,  and  ascended  it. 
Reaching  the  point  where,  on  the  previous 
occasion,  we  had  turned  off  to  find  the 
trap-door,  opening  at  the  head  on  the  great 
staircase,  we  found,  as  Nikola  had  sup- 
posed, a  second  and  smaller  turning  half 
hidden  in  shadow  and  which  bore  away 
to  the  right,  that  is  to  say,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  keep.  Fortunately,  it  was  now 
level  going,  but  so  narrow  was  the  passage 
that  it  was  still  impossible  to  walk  two 
abreast. 

"Hark!   what  was  that?"    Nikola  sud- 


,f 


it    ■    ! 


DR.   NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


281 


denly  cried,  stopping  and  holding  the  lan- 
tern above  his  head. 

We  stopped  and  listened,  and  sure  enough 
a  shuffling  noise  came  from  the  passage  in 
front.  A  moment  later  the  same  sound  -ve 
had  heard  when  the  old  caretaker  had  opened 
the  secret  door  reached  us. 

"  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  we  have  found  his 
lair  at  last,"  my  companion  shouted  and  ran 
forward. 

But  certain  as  we  felt  that  it  was  Quong 
Ma  we  had  heard,  we  were  too  late  to  con- 
vince ourselves  of  the  fact.  The  secret  door 
stood  open;  the  man,  however,  was  not  to 
be  seen  in  the  passage  outside. 

"  Where  are  we?  "  I  asked,  for  I  was  not 
familiar  with  the  corridor  in  which  we  found 
ourselves. 

"  Between  the  keep  and  Ah- Win's  quar- 
ters," Nikola  replied.  "  Now  I  understand 
how  that  fiend  has  found  his  way  into  the  hall. 
But  let  me  think  for  a  moment:  there  is  the 
gate  between  us  and  the  hall,  and  I  have  the 
key  in  my  pocket.  There  is  no  other  exit  in 
either  direction,  so  it  seems  to  me  that  we 


I 


1 

.'I 


!   >, 


283 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


' 

u*B 

'  21' 

1  u 

S! 

1 

1 

il 

have  got  our  man  at  last.    Is  your  revolver 
ready?  " 

"  Quite  ready,"  I  replied. 

"  Come  along,  then.  But  remember  this: 
if  he  attacks  you,  show  him  no  mercy.  He'll 
show  you  none.    Remember  Ah- Win," 

With  that  we  made  our  way  along  the 
corridor  in  the  direction  of  the  room  where 
Nikola's — well,  where  the  murdered  man  had 
been  quartered. 

Nikola  unlocked  the  door  and  looked  in, 
while  I  remained  in  the  passage  outside.  I 
really  believe  I  was  more  afraid  of  what  I 
should  see  in  there  than  of  Quong  Ma  him-, 
self. 

.  "  He  is  not  there,"  said  Nikola  when  he 
rejoined  me,  and  then  went  to  the  gate  and 
tested  it.  "  And  he  can't  get  out  here. 
We've  missed  him  somewhere,  and  must  look 
back  again." 

We  accordingly  retraced  our  steps,  ex- 
amining room  by  room  and  preparing  our- 
selves every  time  lest  when  we  turned  the 
handle  Quong  Ma  should  jump  out  upon  us. 
But  in  every  case  we  were  disappointed. 


\ 


DR.   NIKOLAS   EXPERIMENT. 


'^5 


tt 


I  was  surprised  just  now,"  said  Nikola, 
after  we  had  left  the  last  apartment  and  stood 
in  the  corridor  once  more,  '*  but  I  am  doubly 
so  now.  What  on  earth  can  have  become  of 
the  fellow?  He  seems  to  vanish  into  thin  air 
every  time  we  get  near  him.  There  must  be 
another  secret  passage  hereabout  of  which  we 
are  ignorant.  Before  we  return,  however,  I 
want  to  make  quite  certain  of  one  thing;  let 
us  continue  that  passage  by  which  we  ascend- 
ed from  the  dungeons  just  now." 

We  did  so,  Nikola  once  more  going  ahead 
with  the  lantern. 

"  Just  as  I  thought,"  he  cried.  "  Look 
here." 

He  stopped,  and  stood  with  his  back  to 
the  wall.  At  this  point  the  passage  came  to 
an  abrupt  termination,  and  on  the  floor  be- 
fore us  was  an  old  blanket,  a  quantity  of  straw, 
about  a  loaf  and  a  half  of  bread,  and  an  earth- 
enware pipkin  containing  a  quart  or  so  of 
water.  Under  the  blanket  was  a  half-used 
packet  of  candles,  and  from  the  grease  that 
bespattered  everything  it  was  easily  seen  how 
he  had  obtained  his  illumination. 


284 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


■ 


it 


We  have  found  our  bird's  nest  at  last," 
said  Nikola,  "  but  I  am  afraid  we  have  driven 
him  away  from  it  for  good  and  all.  But  we 
will  have  him  yet,  or  my  name's  not  Nikola. 
Now  let  us  go  back  to  the  hall;  we  can  do  no 
good  by  staying  here." 

We  returned,  but  not  before  we  had  taken 
possession  of  the  things  we  had  found,  and 
had  carefully  marked  the  position  of  the  se- 
cret door  in  case  we  should  want  to  use  it 
again. 

"  After  breakfast  we  will  have  another 
try,"  said  Nikola.  "  In  the  meantime  we  had 
better  take  a  little  rest.  You  look  as  if  you 
stood  in  need  of  it." 

It  would  have  been  better  for  me  had  I 
abandoned  any  thought  of  such  a  thing,  for 
with  Ah-Win  lying  dead  only  a  few  yards  away 
and  Quong  Ma  still  at  large,  the  drowsy 
god  was  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  woo. 
Every  danger  that  it  would  be  possible  for  a 
man  to  imagine  I  pictured  for  Consuelo;  and 
when  at  last  I  did  fall  asleep,  the  dreams  that 
harassed  me  were  of  the  most  horrible  de- 
scription.    Right  glad  was  I  when  morning 


\ 


I 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


385 


broke  and  it  became  necessary  to  attend  to 
the  duties  of  the  day. 

"  If  I  were  you,  I  should  say  nothing  to 
your  sweetheart  either  of  her  great-grandfa- 
ther's condition  or  of  the  tragedy  of  last 
night/'  said  Nikola. 

I  agreed  with  him,  although  I  knew  that 
it  could  not  be  very  long  before  the  former 
would  become  known  to  Consuelo. 

"  But  surely  she  will  hear  about  Ah-Win 
before  very  long?  "  I  said.  "  Will  it  not  be 
necessary  for  you  to  communicate  with  the 
County  police,  and  for  an  inquest  to  be  held?  " 

"  Ingleby,"  replied  Nikola,  "  ask  me  no 
questions.  I  have  no  desire  to  draw  you  into 
the  matter.  It  is  sufficient  for  you  to  know 
that  Ah-Win  is  dead," — he  paused  for  a  min- 
ute, and  then  added,  significantly — "  and 
buried." 

Try  how  I  would,  I  could  not  contain  my 
surprise.  How,  when,  and  by  whom  had  the 
poor  Chinaman  been  buried?  Had  Nikola 
carried  it  out  himself?  It  seemed  impos- 
sible, and  yet  knowing  as  I  did  the  indomi- 
table energy  and  working  powers  of  the  man, 
19 


I 


386 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


I  felt  it  might  very  well  be  true.  I  would 
have  questioned  him  further,  but  I  could  see 
that  he  was  not  in  the  humour  to  permit  it. 
For  this  reason  I  held  my  peace,  though  I 
knew  full  well  at  the  time  that  by  so  doing  I 
was  giving  my  consent  to  what  was  undoubt- 
edly an  illegal  act. 

From  what  I  have  said  I  fancy  it  will  be 
readily  agreed  that  the  past  two  or  three  days 
had  been  as  full  of  incident  as  the  greatest 
craver  after  excitement  could  desire.  I  had 
recovered  from  a  serious  illness,  had  witnessed 
the  result  of  one  of  the  most  extraordinary 
experiments  the  world  had  seen,  Ah- Win  had 
been  murdered,  we  had  discovered  Quong 
Ma's  hiding-place  in  the  Castle,  and  had  had  a 
most  exciting  chase  after  him.  Now  Ah- 
Win  had  been  buried  secretly  by  Nikola,  and 
if  what  had  been  done  was  discovered  by  the 
authorities,  there  is  no  saying  in  what  sort  of 
trouble  we  might  not  find  ourselves.  As 
soon  as  we  had  seen  the  Don,  who  was  still 
wrapped  in  the  same  hypnotic  slumber,  and 
had  breakfasted,  we  organized  another  search, 
only  to  meet  with  the  same  result.    Later,  I 


r**    MIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


387 


spent  an  hour  with  Consuelo  upon  the  bat- 
tlements. I  was  careful,  however,  to  tell  her 
nothing  of  the  death  of  Ah-Win,  nor  of  the 
reappearance  of  the  detestable  Chinaman  in 
the  Castle.  It  would  have  served  no  good 
purpose,  and  would  only  have  frightened  her 
needlessly.  When  she  reiterated  her  desire 
to  see  her  great-grandfather,  I  found  myself, 
if  possible,  at  a  still  greater  disadvantage. 
On  returning  to  Nikola  in  the  hall,  I  placed 
the  matter  before  him.  To  my  surprise,  he 
did  not  receive  it  in  the  same  spirit  as  I  had 
expected  he  would  do.  I  had  anticipated  a 
direct  refusal,  but  he  gave  me  nothing  of  the 
kind. 

"  Why  should  she  not  see  him?  "  he  said. 
"  Provided  she  gave  me  proper  notice,  I  fancy 
I  can  arrange  that  he  shall  behave  in  every 
way  as  she  would  wish  him  to  do." 

"  When,  then,  may  the  interview  take 
place?  " 

"  Let  us  say  at  midday.  Will  that  suit 
you?  But  before  we  arrange  anything  defi- 
nitely, let  us  examine  him  ourselves,  and  see 
how  he  is  likely  to  conduct  himself." 


288 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


r*  ^- 


!?^^  »'■■■>-»,■»*'', 


We  accordingly  made  our  way  to  the  pa- 
tient's room.  I  had  noticed  by  the  hall  clock 
that  it  wanted  only  three  minutes  of  the  hour 
at  which  Nikola  had  ordered  the  Don  to 
wake.  On  approaching  his  bed-place,  we 
found  him  still  sleeping  peacefully  in  exactly 
the  same  position  as  when  've  had  seen  him 
last.  With  his  eyes  closed  and  one  strong 
arm  thrown  out  upon  the  floor,  he  looked  a 
magnificent  specimen  of  a  man.  If  only  Dr. 
Nikola  could  perfect  the  brain,  here  was  a 
being  seemingly  capable  of  anything.  But 
would  he  be  able  to  do  so?  that  was  the  ques- 
tion. Watch  in  hand,  Nikola  knelt  down  be- 
side the  bed,  and  for  some  time  not  a  sound 
broke  the  stillness  of  the  room.  Punctual- 
ly, however,  as  the  long  hand  of  the  clock 
pointed  to  the  hour,  the  Don  gave  a  long 
sigh.  I  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  he 
was  about  to  wake  in  obedience  to  Nikola's 
command;  but,  to  our  surprise,  he  did  not 
do  so. 

"  Strange,"  I  heard  Nikola  mutter  to  him- 
self, and  stooping  over  the  patient  he  lifted 
the  eyelids  and  carefully  examined  the  pupils. 


PR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


289 


Five  minutes  went  by,  and  still  he  did  not 
wake. 

"  Don  Miguel,"  said  Nikola  at  last,  "  I 
command  you  to  wake.  You  cannot  dis- 
obey me." 

A  slight  movement  was  vsible,  but  still 
the  sleeper  did  not  coniply  with  the  order 
given  him.  It  was  not  until  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  had  elapsed  that  consciousness  returned 
to  him.  With  the  opening  of  his  eyes  the 
animal  look  which  I  had  noticed  on  the  previ- 
ous day  came  back  to  him.  Instead  of  rising 
to  his  feet  as  he  was  ordered,  he  crouched  and 
cowered  in  the  corner,  pulling  at  his  bed- 
clothes, and  watching  us  the  while  as  if  he 
would  do  us  a  mischief  on  the  slightest  provo- 
cation. Dangerous  as  he  had  appeared  the 
day  before,  it  struck  me  that  he  was  even 
more  so  to-day. 

"  It  is  very  plain  that  we  shall  have  to 
keep  an  eye  on  you,  my  friend,"  said  Nikola. 
"  I  am  not  quite  certain  that  you  are  going  to 
be  docile  much  longer.  Let  me  feel  your 
pulse." 

He  stooped,  and  was  about  to  take  hold 


290 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


of  the  Other's  wrist,  when  the  man  sprang 
forward,  and,  seizing  the  doctor  with  both 
hands,  laid  hold  of  his  arm  with  his  teeth,  just 
below  the  elbow.  Fortun  'ely,  Nikola  was 
wearing  a  thick  velvet  coat,  otherwise  the  in- 
jury might  have  been  a  severe  one.  Seeing 
what  had  happened,  I  threw  myself  upon  the 
man,  and,  tearing  him  off,  forced  him  down 
upon  his  bed.  He  struggled  in  my  grasp, 
snapping  at  me  and  foaming  at  the  mouth  like 
a  mad  dog;  but  I  had  him  too  secure,  and  did 
not  let  go  my  hold  until  Nikola  had  fixed  his 
arms  behind  him. 

"  Good  Heavens,  Nikola!  "  I  cried,  scarce- 
ly able  to  contain  my  emotion,  "  this  is  too 
terrible!  What  on  earth  are  we  to  do  with 
him?  " 

"  I  do  not  quite  see  what  we  can  do," 
Nikola  replied,  wiping  the  perspiration  from 
his  forehead  as  he  spoke.  "  However,  I  must 
try  my  hand  on  him  once  more.  If  you  can 
manage  to  keep  him  still,  and  I  can  get  him 
under  my  influence,  we  ought  to  be  able  to 
keep  him  quiet  while  we  have  time  to  think." 

I  did  as  requested,  while  Nikola  made  slow 


m 


mm 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


391 


mesmeric  passes  before  the  man's  eyes.  It 
was  fully  ten  minutes,  however,  before  he  suc- 
ceeded; but  as  soon  as  he  did,  the  patient's 
heartrending  struggles  ceased,  and  he  lay 
down  upon  his  bed  sleeping  quietly. 

"  I  began  to  be  afraid  I  was  losing  my  in- 
fluence over  him,"  said  Nikola,  as  he  rose  to 
his  feet. 

"  One  thing  is  quite  certain,"  I  answered, 
"  and  that  is,  Consuelo  must  not  see  him 
while  he  is  in  this  state.  It  would  frighten 
her  to  death." 

"  And  she  would  never  forgive  me,"  said 
Nikola;  and  I  thought  I  detected  a  note  of 
sadness  in  his  voice. 

"  Are  you  going  to  leave  him  as  he  is?  "  I 
inquired. 

"  For  the  present,"  Nikola  answered.  "  I 
must  make  up  something  that  will  have  a 
soothing  effect  upon  him.  You  need  have  no 
fear;  he  will  be  quite  safe  where  he  is." 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth 
before  a  movement  on  the  bed  caused  us  to 
look  round.  Little  as  we  had  anticipated 
such  a  thing,  Nikola's  influence  was  slowly 


2gz 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


but  surely  working  off,  and  the  man  was  re- 
turning to  his  old  state  again.  Even  now, 
I  never  like  to  think  of  what  happened  during 
the  next  ten  minutes.  Before  we  could  reach 
him,  the  Don  was  on  his  feet  and  had  rushed 
upon  me.  Nikola  ran  to  my  assistance,  and 
strong  men  as  we  both  were,  I  assure  you  that 
at  first  we  could  not  cope  with  him.  The 
struggle  was  a  terrific  one.  He  fought  like  the 
madman  he  certainly  was,  and  with  an  animal 
ferocity  that  rendered  him  doubly  difficult  to 
deal  with.  When,  at  last,  we  did  manage  to 
force  him  back  on  to  his  bed  and  make  him  se- 
cure, we  were  both  completely  exhausted ;  we 
could  only  lean  against  the  wall  and  pant; 
conversation  was  out  of  the  question. 

"  This  will  never  do,"  said  Nikola  when  he 
had  sufficiently  recovered  to  speak;  "  if  this 
sort  of  thing  goes  on,  he  will  murder  some 


one. 


it 


"  But  how  are  you  going  to  prevent  it?  " 
I  asked.  "  It  is  plain  that  your  influence  has 
lost  its  eflfect." 

"  There  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  administer 
jm  opiate,"  be  answered.     "  Do  you  think 


(■/n 


t. 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


293 


you  can  manage  to  hold  him  while  I  procure 
one?  " 

I  fancied  I  could;  at  any  rate,  I  expressed 
myself  as  very  willing  to  try.  Nikola  imme- 
diately hurried  away.  He  informed  me  after- 
wards that  he  was  not  gone  more  than  a  min- 
ute, but  had  I  been  asked  I  should  have  put 
the  time  down  at  at  least  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
To  describe  to  you  my  feelings  during  that 
wait  would  be  impossible;  the  loathing,  the 
horror,  the  abject  personal  fear  of  the  man 
writhing  below  me  seemed  to  fill  my  whole 
being. 

"  I  don't  think  we  shall  have  very  much 
more  trouble  with  him  for  an  hour  or  two 
to  come,"  said  Nikola,  when  the  drug  had 
taken  effect,  and  we  were  on  our  feet  once 


more. 

ft 


But  we  cannot  go  on  administering 
drugs  for  ever,"  I  answered;  "what  do  you 
propose  to  do  later  on?  " 

"  That  is  what  we've  got  to  find  out,"  he 
replied.  "  In  the  meantime  we  must  keep 
him  up  like  this,  and  take  it  in  turns  to  watch 
him.    You  had  better  go  out  now  and  get  a 


^' 


V 


!i' 


V 


294 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


breath  of  fresh  air.  If  you  see  your  sweet- 
heart, pacify  her  with  the  best  excuse  you  can 
think  of." 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  you  are  safe  with  him 
alone?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  must  risk  it,"  he  replied.  But  as  I 
moved  towards  the  door  he  stopped  me. 

"  Ingleby,"  he  said,  speaking  slowly  and 
sadly,  "  I  don't  know  whether  you  will  be- 
lieve me  or  not  when  I  say  how  deeply  I  re- 
gret what  has  happened  in  this  case.  I  would 
have  given  anything,  my  own  life  even,  that 
things  should  not  have  fallen  out  in  this  way. 
And  what  is  more,  I  do  not  say  this  for  my 
own  sake." 

You  are  thinking  of  Consuelo,"  I  said. 
I  am,"  he  answered.  "  It  is  for  her  sake 
I  feel  this  regret.  As  a  rule,  I  am  not  given 
to  sentiment,  but  somehow  this  seems  alto- 
gether different.  But  there,  go  away  and  tell 
her  what  you  think  best." 

I  left  him  and  went  in  search  of  Consuelo. 
She  was  in  her  usual  place  in  the  tower  above 
her  room,  and  when  she  saw  me,  she  ran  to 
greet  me  with  outstretched  hands.     Some- 


« 


t( 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


295 


thing — ^it  might  have  been  my  pale  face — 
frightened  her. 

"  My  darling,"  I  said,  "  you  are  not  ill,  are 
you?    What  makes  you  look  so  alarmed?  " 

"  I  have  been  frightened,"  she  answered; 
"  more  fiightened  than  I  can  tell  you." 

For  a  moment  I  thought  she  must  have 
heard  about  her  great-grandfather,  but  such 
was  not  the  case. 

"  I  have  only  been  up  here  a  few  mo- 
ments," she  answered.  "  The  caretaker's 
wife  was  in  my  room  when  I  left.  The  door 
was  open,  and  as  I  climbed  the  turret  stairs,  I 
thought  I  heard  her  call  me.  Turning  round, 
I  was  about  to  descend  again,  when  I  saw, 
standing  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  a  man.  He 
was  looking  up  at  me.  For  a  moment  I  could 
scarcely  believe  my  eyes.  Who  do  you  think 
it  was?  " 

Though  I  could  easily  guess,  I  managed 
to  force  myself  to  utter  the  word  "  Who?  " 

"  He  was  the  man  you  saw  behind  the 
rock,  the  same  I  saw  bending  over  me  in  my 
cabin  on  board  the  Dona  Mercedes,  that  ter- 
rible Chinaman  with  half  an  ear." 


11 

n 


I 


Tri-irifn^"*'^" 


2^6 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


'pi 


i' 


SI 


f>. 


I  feared  that  she  might  see  from  my  face 
that  I  knew  more  than  I  cared  to  tell;  but, 
as  good  fortune  had  it,  she  failed  to  notice  it. 

"  Surely  you  must  have  been  mistaken,"  I 
answered.  "  What  could  the  man  be  doing 
in  the  Castle?  " 

"  I  do  not  know,"  she  answered.  "  But  I 
am  as  certain  I  saw  him  as  I  am  of  anything. 
He  was  standing  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs 
watching  me.  Then  he  began  to  move  in  my 
direction;  but  before  he  could  reach  the  bot- 
tom step  I  heard  a  door  open  along  the  cor- 
ridor. This  must  have  frightened  him,  for  he 
fled  round  the  corner,  and  I  saw  no  more  of 
him." 

"  It  must  have  been  my  opening  the  door 
that  saved  you,"  I  said.  "  Thank  God  I  came 
when  I  did!" 

"  But  what  does  it  mean? "  she  asked. 
"  Why  did  that  man  come  on  board  the  boat, 
and  why  has  he  followed  us  here?  " 

"  I  think  the  reason  is  to  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  he  is  Dr.  Nikola's  enemy,"  I  replied. 
"  They  had  a  private  quarrel  in  China  some 
years  ago,  and  ever  since  then  this  man  has 


).    ■■■■'■ 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


297 


been  following  him  about  the  world  endeav- 
ouring to  do  him  harm.  The  case  is  a  serious 
one,  darling,  and  as  you  love  me  you  must  run 
no  risks.  Be  on  your  guard  night  and  day. 
See  that  your  door  is  locked  at  night,  and 
never  venture  from  your  room  after  dusk, 
unless  I  am  with  you.  It  makes  my  blood 
run  cold  when  I  thiuK  of  your  running  such 
risks  as  you  did  this  morning." 

"  But  what  about  you?  "  she  said,  looking 
up  at  me  with  her  beautiful,  frightened  eyes. 
"  Oh,  why  cannot  we  take  my  grandfather 
and  go  away,  and  never  see  this  dreadful  place 
again?  " 

"We  must  wait  patiently,"  I  answered; 
"  the  Don  is  not  fit  to  travel  just  yet." 

She  gave  a  little  sigh,  and  next  moment  it 
was  time  for  me  to  leave  her. 

For  the  next  two  or  three  days  following 
Nikola  and  I  took  it  in  turns  to  act  as  sentry 
over  the  Don.  If  it  was  not  difficult  work,  it 
was  the  reverse  of  pleasant ;  for  as  soon  as  the 
effect  of  each  successive  opiate  wore  off,  his 
evil  nature  invariably  reasserted  itself.  Some- 
times he  would  sit  for  an  hour  or  more  watch- 


I 


"i 


t 


298 


DR.  NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


ing  me,  as  if  he  intended  springing  upon  me 
the  instant  I  was  off  my  guard.  At  others  he 
would  crouch  in  a  corner  tearing  into  atoms 
everything  within  his  reach.  More  than  once 
he  was  really  violent,  and  it  became  necessary 
for  me  to  signal  to  Nikola  for  assistance. 
The  horror  of  those  days  I  shall  never  forget. 
When  I  say  that  not  once  but  several  times 
I  have  left  that  room  dripping  with  perspira- 
tion, the  pure  sweat  of  terror,  my  feelings 
may  be  partially  imagined.  It  was  not  mad- 
ness we  had  to  contend  with;  it  was  worse 
than  that.  It  was  the  fighting  of  a  lost  soul 
against  the  effect  of  man's  impious  prying 
into  what  should  have  been  the  realms  of  the 
unknowable. 

"  This  sort  of  thing  cannot  last  much 
longer,"  said  Nikola,  when  our  patient  was 
lying  drugged  and  helpless  upon  his  mattress 
on  the  third  night  after  the  death  of  Ah- Win. 
And  I  knew  he  was  right.  Outraged  nature 
would  avenge  herself. 

When  Nikola  had  bade  me  good-night,  I 
examined  the  Don  to  make  sure  that  he  was 
not  shamming  sleep  in  order  to  try  and  get 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


299 


the  better  of  me  directly  I  was  alone.  Find- 
ing him  to  be  quite  helpless,  I  seated  myself 
in  my  chair  and  prepared  to  spend  my  watch 
in  as  comfortable  a  fashion  as  possible  under 
the  circumstances.  During  the  day  I  had 
passed  a  considerable  portion  of  my  time  with 
my  sweetheart  in  the  open  air,  and,  in  conse- 
quence, I  found  myself  growing  exceedingly 
sleepy.  Knowing  it  would  never  do  to  allow 
slumber  to  get  the  better  of  me  in  that  room, 
I  rose  from  my  chair  and  began  to  pace  the 
floor.  This  had  the  effect  of  temporarily 
rousing  me,  and  when  I  reseated  myself  I 
thought  I  had  dispelled  the  attack.  It  soon 
returned,  however,  and  this  time  it  would  not 
be  denied.  I  rubbed  my  eyes,  I  pinched  my- 
self, I  got  up  and  walked  about.  It  was  no 
good,  however;  I  returned  to  my  chair,  my 
eyelids  closed,  anv*  almost  without  knowing  it 
I  dozed  off.  When  I  woke  again  it  was  with 
a  start.  I  rubbed  my  eyes  and  looked  about 
me.  Heavens!  What  mischief  had  I  done? 
The  Don  was  not  in  his  corner,  the  key  was  gone 
from  the  hook  upon  which  it  usually  hung,  and 
worse  than  all,  the  door  stood  open! 


■  iWjini'»'.'BtUB 


■«»■-  iw-jgj;.-'™^— "-JT-- 


300 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


For  a  moment  I  was  so  overwhelmed  with 
horror  that  I  could  do  nothing.  But  only 
for  a  moment.  Then  I  knew  that  I  must  act, 
and  at  once.  I  rang  the  bell  for  Nikola,  and 
having  done  so,  dashed  into  the  hall.  Al- 
most simultaneously  Nikola  made  his  appear- 
ance, coming  from  his  room. 

"  What  is  the  matter?  "  he  cried.  "  Why 
do  you  ring  for  me?  " 

"  The  Don  has  escaped,"  I  almost  shouted. 
"  Like  the  fool  I  am,  I  fell  asleep,  and  during 
that  time  he  must  have  recovered  his  wits, 
stolen  the  key,  and  escaped  from  the  room. 
Oh,  what  have  I  done?  If  she  should  see  him 
as  he  is,  it  will  kill  her!  " 

For  a  moment  it  looked  as  if  Nikola  would 
have  swept  me  oflf  the  face  of  the  earth,  but 
the  look  scarcely  came  into  his  eyes  before  it 
was  gone  again. 

"  We  must  find  him,"  he  cried,  "  before  he 
can  do  any  mischief,  and  what  is  more,  we 
must  not  separate,  for  he  would  be  more  than 
a  match  for  us  single-handed." 

Accordingly  we  left  the  hall  and  proceed- 
ed towards  the  Dotia  Consuelo's  apartments. 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


301 


I  thanked  Heaven  when  I  found  that  the  door 
was  locked.  Calling  to  her  in  answer  to  her 
cry  of  **  Who  is  there!  "  I  told  her  that  I  only 
desired  to  assure  myself  of  her  safety,  and 
after  that  we  passed  on  up  the  turret  stairs 
and  along  the  battlements,  but  no  sign  of  the 
Don  could  we  discover  there.  Returning  to 
the  corridor  again,  we  descended  to  the  great 
entrance  hall  and  searched  the  courtyard  and 
basement. 

The  moon  shone  clear,  and  the  courtyard 
was  as  light  as  day.  Had  there  been  any  one 
there,  we  must  certainly  have  seen  him.  Sud- 
denly there  rang  out  the  most  unearthly 
scream  it  has  ever  been  my  ill-luck  to  hear. 
It  came  from  the  direction  of  the  chapel, 
which  lay  between  the  keep  and  what  had 
once  been  the  banqueting  hall.  From  where 
we  stood  the  interior  of  the  latter  was  quite 
visible  to  us.  On  either  side  it  had  tall  win- 
dows, so  that  the  light  shone  directly  through. 
The  scream  had  scarcely  died  away  before  we 
distinctly  saw  a  short  figure  dash  into  the 
room,  and  out  again  upon  the  other  side.  An 
instant  later  and  a  taller  figure  followed,  and 


so 


302 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


in  i. 


also  disappeared.  Again  and  again  the 
scream  rang  out,  while  Nikola  stood  rooted 
to  the  spot,  unable  to  move  hand  or  foot. 

"I  see  it  all,"  cried  Nikola.  "  That  was 
Quong  Ma  and  the  other  was  the  Don. 
They'll  kill  each  other  if  they  meet." 

I  thought  of  Consuelo,  and  thought  of  the 
terror  she  would  feel  should  she  hear  that 
dreadful  noise. 

**  They  must  not  meet,"  I  cried.  "  It  is 
too  terrible.  At  any  cost  we  must  prevent  it. 
Where  do  you  think  they  are  now?  " 

As  if  to  let  us  know  another  scream  rang 
out.  This  time  it  came  from  our  own  quarters. 

"  Come  on,"  cried  Nikola,  and  dashed  into 
the  building.  As  you  may  suppose,  I  fol- 
lowed close  upon  his  heels.  In  this  order  we 
flew  up  the  stairs  and  along  the  first  gallery, 
intending,  if  possible,  to  reach  the  small  hall, 
by  which  the  staircase  near  the  kitchen  in 
which  Ah- Win  had  worked  was  approached, 
and  thus  cut  them  off.  As  we  crossed  the 
threshold,  however,  a  wild  hubbub  came  from 
the  passage  ahead,  and  told  us  that  we  were 
too  late.    I  knew  what  it  meant,  and  if  I  had 


DR.   NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


303 


not  been  by  that  time  quite  bankrupt  of  emo- 
tions I  should  certainly  have  been  doubly  ter- 
rified now. 

Leaving  the  kitchen,  we  dashed  along  the 
passage,  only  to  find  that  the  room  usually 
occupied  by  Nikola's  unfortunates  wps  empty. 
With  the  exception  of  one  solitary  specimen, 
who  by  reason  of  his  infirmity  was  unable  to 
fly,  they  had  all  vanished.  Leaving  him  to 
his  own  desires,  we  passed  the  iron  gate,  now 
th  jwn  open,  and  a  moment  later  had  entered 
th**-  hall  itself.  Once  more  the  cry  sounded, 
this  time  coming  from  a  spot  somewhat  near- 
er Consuelo's  apartment.  On  hearing  it,  my 
heart  seemed  to  stand  still.  What  if  she 
should  imagine  that  I  was  in  danger  and 
should  open  her  door?  The  same  thought 
must  have  been  in  Nikola's  mind,  for  I  heard 
him  say  to  himself — 

"  Anything  but  that." 

Side  by  side  we  raced  for  her  door,  only 
to  find  it  was  still  shut  and  locked. 

Almost  at  the  same  instant  a  scream, 
louder  than  any  we  had  yet  heard,  sounded 
from  the  battlements  above. 


304 


DR.    NIKOLA'S   EXPERIMENT. 


lii 


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If!   I 


"  At  last,"  I  cried,  and  led  the  way  up  the 
stone  stairs.  I  can  only  say  that  of  all  the 
horrid  scenes  I  have  ever  witnessed,  that  I 
saw  before  me  then  was  the  very  worst.  In 
the  centre  of  the  open  space  between  the 
parapets,  fighting  like  wild  beasts,  were  the 
two  men  of  whom  we  were  in  search.  Their 
arms  were  twined  about  each  other,  and  as 
they  swayed  to  and  fro  the  sound  of  their 
heavy  breathing  could  be  distinctly  heard. 
Having  reached  the  top  of  the  stairs,  we 
paused  irresolute.  What  was  to  be  done? 
To  have  attempted  to  separate  them  would 
only  have  been  to  draw  their  anger  upon  our- 
selves, and  to  have  made  the  fight  a  general 
one.  The  moon  shone  down  upon  us,  reveal- 
ing the  smooth  sea  on  one  side  and  the  many 
turrets  of  the  Castle  on  the  other.  From 
fighting  in  the  centre  of  the  open  space,  they 
gradually  came  nearer  the  parapet  of  the  wall. 
Quong  Ma  must  then  have  realized  how  near 
he  stood  to  death,  for  he  redoubled  his  en- 
ergy. 

*'  They  will  be  over,"  shouted  Nikola,  and 
started  to  run  towards  them.     He  had  scarce- 


DR.  NIKOLAS  EXPERIMENT. 


305 


ly  spoken  before  they  reached  the  edge.  For 
a  moment,  locked  in  each  other's  arms,  they 
paused  upon  the  brink;  then,  with  a  wild 
shriek  from  Quong  Ma,  they  lost  their  bal- 
ance and  disappeared.  I  clapped  my  hands 
to  my  eyes  to  shut  out  the  fearful  sight. 
When  I  took  them  away  again,  all  was  over, 
and  both  Nikola  and  I  knew  that  Quong  Ma 
and  Don  Miguel  de  Moreno  were  dead. 

I  suppose  I  must  have  fainted,  for  when  I 
returned  to  my  senses  once  more,  I  found  my- 
self seated  on  the  top  of  the  stairs,  and  Con- 
suelo's  arms  about  me. 

There  remains  but  little  more  to  tell. 

At  the  time  of  that  dreadful  scene  upon 
the  battlements  it  was  full  tide;  and  though 
Nikola  and  I  searched  every  nook  and  cranny 
along  the  coast  line  for  many  miles,  the  bodies 
of  the  two  men  could  not  be  found.  In  all 
probability  they  had  drifted  out  to  sea.  The 
same  day  I  summoned  up  my  courage,  and 
prepared  to  tell  my  sweetheart  everything; 
but  when  I  sought  her  out,  and  was  about  to 
commence  my  confession,  she  stopped  me. 


/  ' 


If' 


} 


306 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


Ir 


1^ 


m 


'i/i 


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"  Say  nothing  to  me  about  it,  dear,"  she 
began.  "  I  cannot  bear  it  yet.  Dr.  Nikola 
has  told  me  everything.  He  exonerates  you 
completely!" 

"  But  what  of  ourselves? "  I  asked. 
*'  Consuelo,  you  and  I  are  alone  together  in 
the  world ;  will  you  give  me  the  right  to  care 
for  your  future  happiness?  My  darling,  will 
you  be  my  wife?  " 

"  When  and  where  you  please,"  she  an- 
swered, holding  out  her  hands  to  me  and 
looking  up  at  me  with  her  beautiful,  trust- 
ing eyes.  I  told  her  of  my  straitened 
means  and  how  hard  the  struggle  would  be 
at  first. 

"  No  matter,"  she  answered  bravely,  "  we 
will  fight  the  world  together.  I  am  used  to 
poverty,  and  with  you  beside  me  I  shall  know 
no  fear." 

An  hour  later  I  had  an  interview  with 
Nikola  in  the  hall. 

"  Ingleby,"  he  said,  "  this  is  the  end  of  our 
intercourse.  I  have  tried  my  experiment, 
and  though  I  have  succeeded  in  many  particu- 
lars, I  have  failed  in  the  main  essential.     How 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


307 


much  I  regret  what  has  happened,  I  must 
leave  you  to  imagine;  but  it  is  too  late:  what 
is  done  cannot  be  undone.  I  have  given  or- 
ders that  the  yacht  shall  be  prepared.  She 
will  convey  you  to  Newcastle,  whence  you 
can  proceed  in  any  direction  you  may 
desire.  One  thing  is  certain:  Dona  Con- 
suelo  must  leave  this  place,  and  as  you  are 
to  be  her  husband,  it  is  only  fit  and  proper 
that  you  should  go  with  her.  I  have  only 
one  wish  to  offer  you:  it  is  that  you  may 
be  as  happy  as  these  past  weeks  have  been 
sad." 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  me,  and  I  took  it. 

"  We  shall  meet  no  more,"  he  said.  "  Go 
away,  and  forget  that  you  ever  met  Dr.  Ni- 
kola.    Good-bye."  ' 

"  Good-bye,"  I  answered.  Without  an- 
other word  he  turned  and  left  the  room. 

Shortly  before  midday  we  boarded  the 
yacht.  Steam  was  up  when  we  arrived,  and 
within  a  few  minutes  we  were  steaming  out 
of  the  little  bay.  Consuelo  and  I  stood  to- 
gether at  the  taflfrail,  and  looked  up  at  the 
grim  old  Castle  on  the  cliff  above  our  heads. 


3o8 


DR.   NIKOLA'S  EXPERIMENT. 


Standing  on  the  battlements  we  could  dis- 
tinctly see  a  solitary  figure,  who  waved  his 
hands  to  us.  Then  the  little  vessel  passed 
round  the  headland,  and  that  was  the  last  we 
saw  of  Dr.  Nikola. 


"■ 


THE  END. 


W4 


r. 

could  dis- 
waved  his 
sel  passed 
he  last  we 


I 


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